Selective Surface Modification of Poly(propylene) with OH and COOH Groups Using Liquid-Plasma Systems

• Published in: Plasma processes and polymers Vol. 5; no. 7; pp. 695 - 707
• Main Authors: Joshi, Ranjit, Schulze, Rolf-Dieter, Meyer-Plath, Asmus, Friedrich, Jörg Florian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 15.09.2008; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley-VCH
• Subjects: Acrylic acid; Applied sciences; Coating, metallization, dyeing; electrochemistry; Electrolysis; Exact sciences and technology; Functional groups; Gas plasmas; Glow discharges; Hydrogen peroxide; Liquids; Machinery and processing; Plastics; poly(propylene) (PP); Polymer industry, paints, wood; surface modification; Technology of polymers; Thin films; Hydroxylation; electrochemistry; Chemoselectivity; Film; Propylene polymer; surface modification; Glow discharge; Plasma assisted processing; Experimental study; glow discharges; Surface treatment; poly(propylene) (PP); Capillary discharge; Functionalization; Functionality; Aqueous medium; Carboxylation; Hydroxyl group; Carboxyl group
• ISSN: 1612-8850; 1612-8869; 1612-8869
• DOI: 10.1002/ppap.200700175

Underwater plasma and glow discharge electrolysis are interesting new methods for polymer surface functionalization. The achievable content of O‐containing functional groups exceeds that of oxygen glow discharge gas plasmas by a factor of two (up to ca. 56 O/100 C). The percentage of OH groups among all O‐containing groups can reach 25 to 40%, whereas it is about 10% in the gas plasmas. Addition of hydrogen peroxide increases the fraction of OH groups to at most 70% (27 OH/100 C). The liquid plasma systems are also able to polymerize acrylic acid and deposit the polymer as very thin film on substrate surfaces or membranes, thereby retaining about 80% of all COOH functional groups (27 COOH/100 C).