Functionalization of Polymers using N2 Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Dicharge

Summary form only given. Surface treatment of polymers using plasma has teen widely implemented to enhance the adhesion and wettability of the material through the inclusion of polar functional groups. In the case of high-strength organic fibers for composite applications, it is imperative to apply such a technique to overcome interfacial discontinuities that exist between two thermodynamically different materials. Through the use of atmospheric pulsed-dielectric barrier discharges (DBD), ultra -high -molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) films were treated with nitrogen gas to the effect where nitrogen-and oxygen-containing functional groups were deposited on the surface. To avoid the effects of oxidative degradation during and after plasma treatments, various treatment times and gas flow-rates were used to achieve higher uptake of N-containing species over that of O-containing species. Using surface analysis techniques such as attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle measurements, variation in surface energy and chemical composition has been studied. To understand the mechanism of interaction between the plasma and the surface of the polymer, optical emission spectroscopy has been applied to identify and characterize key chemical species present in the DBD plasma.