IR laser ablation of poly(vinyl chloride): Formation of monomer and deposition of nanofibres of chlorinated polyhydrocarbon

• Published in: Polymer degradation and stability Vol. 91; no. 2; pp. 213 - 220
• Main Authors: Blazevska-Gilev, Jadranka, Kupčík, Jaroslav, Šubrt, Jan, Bastl, Zdeněk, Vorlíček, Vladimír, Galíková, Anna, Spaseska, Diana, Pola, Josef
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical reactions and properties; Degradation; Exact sciences and technology; Laser ablation; Laser-induced polymer films; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Poly(vinyl chloride); Degradation; Laser-induced polymer films; Laser ablation; Poly(vinyl chloride); Film formation; Volatile organic compound; Experimental study; Infrared laser; Crosslinked polymer; Reaction mechanism; Chemical composition; Processing parameter; Laser ablation technique; Chlorine containing polymer; Polyvinyl chloride; Monomer; Nanostructured materials; Thermal degradation
• ISSN: 0141-3910; 1873-2321
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2005.05.017

IR laser-induced ablation of poly(vinyl chloride) was examined under different irradiation conditions and its volatile and solid products were characterized by mass, infrared, UV and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron microscopy and thermogravimetry. It is demonstrated that the major component among the volatile products is monomeric vinyl chloride and that the process causes deposition of Cl-containing polymeric films. The proportion between the volatile and solid products as well as the nature of the deposited films at different laser fluences have been examined. We show that the deposited films incorporate less Cl atoms than poly(vinyl chloride) and that they initially contain conjugated C C bonds and incorporate nano-sized fibre and necklace features. The process represents the first example of thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) into monomer and makes it possible to fabricate crosslinked Cl-containing intractable polymer films.