QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF ADHESION STRENGTH OF INK DEPOSITED ON PLASTIC FILMS WITH A NANO INDENTER AND A SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE

As our lifestyles change, the convenience food industry booms. Many convenience food products use flexible, boilable, and microwavable plastic packaging. Almost every package is printed with ink, promoting what is inside the package, listing ingredients and nutrition data, giving preparation instructions, etc. The adhesion of ink on plastic films merits increasing attention to ensure quality packaging. However, this property has not been systematically studied and lacks a scientific method to measure the adhesion strength quantitatively. We are developing a technique of using a Nano-Indenter and a Scanning Probe Microscope to evaluate the adhesion strength of ink deposited on plastic films. It shows promise, and the measurement will be helpful in better understanding the adhesion mechanism, thus giving direction as to how to improve the adhesion.