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Identification of hydrophilic group formation on polymer surface during Ar{sup +} ion irradiation in O{sub 2} environment

Book ·
OSTI ID:549802
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Korea Inst. of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of). Ceramic Div.
  2. Samyang Group R and D Center, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)
Ar{sup +} ion irradiation on low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polystyrene (PS) was performed in an O{sub 2} environment in order to improve wettability of polymers to water and to identify the formation of hydrophilic groups originated from chemical reactions on the surface of polymers. Doses of a broad Ar{sup +} ion beam of 1 keV energy were changed from 5 {times} 10{sup 15} to 1 {times} 10{sup 17}/cm{sup 2} and the rate of oxygen gas flowing near the sample surface was varied from 0 to 7 ml/min. The contact angle of polymers was not reduced much by Ar{sup +} ion irradiation without oxygen gas. However, it dropped largely to a minimum of 35{degree} and 26{degree} for Ar{sup +} ion irradiation in the presence of flowing oxygen gas on LDPE and PS, respectively. From x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, it was observed that hydrophilic groups were formed on the surface of polymers through an ion-assisted chemical reaction between the ion-induced unstable chains and oxygen. The newly formed hydrophilic group was identified as {single_bond}(C{double_bond}){single_bond} bond and {single_bond}(C{double_bond}O){single_bond}O{single_bond} bond. The contact angle of polymer was greatly dependent on the hydrophilic group formed on the surface.
OSTI ID:
549802
Report Number(s):
CONF-961202--; ISBN 1-55899-342-8
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English