Improvement of hydrophilicity of poly(ethylene terephthalate) by non-polymer-forming gaseous glow discharge

Abstract

Wettability of polyethylene terephthalate) (PET) surfaces was greatly improved by the applications of gaseous glow discharge in argon, nitrogen, and air. The optimum glow discharge condition for producing a durable and wettable PET surface was concluded to be in nitrogen at a power level of 30 W. The most drastic improvement in wettability was achieved during the initial 2 min of exposure. Both moisture regain and water retention values of the substrates were significantly improved by these treatments. Surface morphology of the treated fiber surfaces, revealed by SEM, indicated both etching and redeposition of some previously detached molecules on the surfaces. The treated surfaces were found to undergo some changes as was evident by increasing contact angles and increasing weights up to 3 weeks after the treatments. Major changes occurred within 6 days and were more obvious with shorter exposure periods. Possible oxidation and rearrangement of the surface molecules were suggested to contribute to the decreased wettability and increased weight of the treated materials during storage. The final stabilized surfaces still demonstrated superior wetting characteristics.

Surface and Bulk Modification of Synthetic Textiles to Improve Dyeability

“…The surface wettability enhancements were due to two reactions; 1) direct reaction (i.e. oxidation) of reactive gases (oxygen plasma) and 2) free radical formation and their subsequent reactions such as degradation and crosslinking (Hsieh & Chen, 1985). In this study, it was determined that a nitrogen atmosphere with a glow discharge of 30W provided the most durable and wettable surface finish for PET.…”

“…The various gases employed include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, ammonia and reactive monomers. The hydrophilicity of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was greatly improved with the plasma method where the discharge barrier occurred in argon, nitrogen and air (Hsieh & Chen, 1985). The surface wettability enhancements were due to two reactions; 1) direct reaction (i.e.…”

“…Figure 3 illustrates the differences of wettability at the optimum power level. Replotted from data in (Hsieh & Chen, 1985).…”

Surface graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto corona-treated poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabric

“…It has, however, some drawbacks, such as high hydrophobicity of surface, color absorption, adhesion, and antistatic properties. To overcome these disadvantages of PET, various kinds of means, such as coating, 1 corona-discharge, 2,3 alkaline treatment, 4,5 and low temperature plasma, [6][7][8] are used. But durability is not sufficient, so a large number of researchers have studied the grafting of vinyl monomers onto PET fibers and fabrics.…”

Large-Area Uniform Surface Treatment of Polymeric Materials Using a Scanning Plasma Method

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] In plasma treatment of materials, all significant reactions are based on free-radical chemistry. The glow discharge very efficiently creates a high density of gas-phase free radicals by dissociating molecules through electron bombardment.…”