Traces of electron transfer on polymer surface after electrified by contact or friction

Evidence of electron transfer between polymers and metals during contact is sought. For this purpose, photoelectron emission from polymer samples is measured before and after they come in contact with metals. It is found that after the samples are electrified, the threshold energy of photoemission becomes small and is almost equal to that of contact metals. It is argued that this result shows the traces of electrons which came from metals during contact and were captured in electron traps on the polymer surface. The charging mechanism of polyethylene can be explained as electron transfer from contacting metals. In the case of nylon 6, which has a tendency to charge positively, the same result does not explain the mechanism consistently. The present result shows that nylon 6 may be charged by another mechanism.<>