Optical patterns on drawn polyethylene by direct laser writing

Optical patterns are produced on the surface of drawn linear polyethylene containing 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-ditertpentylphenol (BZT), a photothermal dye, by direct laser writing. The photothermal dye absorbs the UV light and dissipates heat in the polyethylene film. This heat locally results in the melting, shrinking, and recrystallization of PE and the loss of the fibrillar crystalline morphology which is typical for these materials. By using this writing method, an optical image can be obtained by controlling the local UV irradiation dose with a pulsed UV laser. The optical image is visible with the naked eye but also between crossed polarizers giving an overt and covert authentication verification that might be interesting for anti-counterfeit applications.