Modification of Polymer Surfaces

UV irradiation on a polymer surface produces chemical modification as well as wettability and bondability improvement. It causes chain scission and oxidation on polymer surfaces. -iven in the presence of an inert gas [45]. Carbonyls are found to be introduced onto polyethylenes on UV irradiation. Sivram et al. [46] have used photochemical treatments for surface modification of polymers. They have generated surfaces of vaying surface energies by simple organic reactions. 

Ikada Y. Surface modification of polymers for medical application. Biomaterials, 1994, 15, 725-736. James SJ, Pogribna M, Miller BJ, Bolon B, and Muskhelishvili L. Characterization of cellular response to silicone implants in rats Implications for foreign-body carcinogenesis. Biomaterials, 1997, 18, 667-675. 

Mirzadeh H, Khorasani MT, and Sammez P. Laser surface modification of polymers A novel technique for the preparation of blood compatible materials-II In vitro assay. Iranian Polym, 1998, 7, 5. 

There are several other active topics under examination in our laboratory, for example, surface modification of polymers under phase transfer catalyzed reactions and single electron transfer phase transfer catalyzed polymerizations. The limited space, however, precludes discussion here. 

The surface modification of polymers for improvement of adhesive bonding, and altering surface properties in general without concomitant modification of bulk properties is an active area of research in both industrial and academic laboratories and has been accomplished by a variety of means ranging from Corona discharge treatment, direct chemical modification and by interaction with plasmas excited in inert gases either capacitively or inductively27. ... 

D. Ruckert, G. Geuskens, P. Fondu, and S. Van Erum, Surface modification of polymers - III. Photo-... 

K. Allmer, A. Hull, and B. Ranby, Surface modification of polymers. 1. Vapour phase photografting with... 

M. Strobel, C. S. Lyons, and K L. Mittal, eds., Plasma Surface Modification of Polymers Relevance to Adhesion, Coronet Books, Philadelphia, Pa., 1994. 

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