Several techniques are in use within the plastics industry, including corona discharge, plasma etching, flame treating and the use of chemical primers to enhance surface energy.
One of the easiest forms of surface preparation is simply cleaning and abrading the surface. The most common procedure is a solvent wipe, followed by abrasion and then a final solvent wipe. The solvent selected should not craze or soften the plastic. Grit blasting is the most effective abrasion method, although using aluminium oxide cloth also works well. The final solvent rinse removes residue from abrasion. Using cleaning and abrasion first ensures that wetting problems are not caused by surface contamination. Another potential benefit is that removing the surface layer of plastic may expose material with better wetting characteristics due to a different crystalline microstructure.