FUNCTIONALIZATION OF POLYETHYLENE SURFACE USING PLASMA-INDUCED GRAFT-COPOLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLIC-ACID

Plasma-induced graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto PE films was investigated. The influence of plasma treatment power, pressure, time, graft copolymerization time, and monomer concentration on polymerization yield was determined. A chemical shift of the Cls signal of Ar plasma treated and untreated PE films was revealed by ESCA, which also verified the presence of grafted PAAc. An increase in graft polymerization yield with plasma treatment time and power was found. Both the plasma treated film and the subsequently grafted film were shown to be hydrophilic. Only the grafted film, however, shows an invariably low contact angle. The decomposition of peroxides upon heating was followed by a simple first-order reaction. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.