Modification of Polyethylene by RF Plasma in Different/Mixture Gases

Abusrafa, Aya E.; Habib, Salma; Krupa, Igor; Ouederni, Mabrouk; Popelka, Anton

doi:10.3390/coatings9020145

Cited by 31 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 47 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…Plasma treatment led to a remarkable increase in adhesion, while peel resistance increased to 2.2 N/m. The adhesion improvement of plasma treated polymeric surface was caused by the wettability improvement as result of functionalization and roughness changes [ 57 , 58 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Polymeric Surfaces Based on Natural Oil with Antimicrobial Effect

et al. 2021

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Many polymer materials have found a wide variety of applications in biomedical industries due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, the infections associated with the biofilm formation represent serious problems resulting from the initial bacterial attachment on the polymeric surface. The development of novel slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) represents promising method for the biofilm formation prevention. These surfaces are characterized by specific microstructural roughness able to hold lubricants inside. The lubricants create a slippery layer for the repellence of various liquids, such as water and blood. In this study, effective antimicrobial modifications of polyethylene (PE) and polyurethane (PU), as commonly used medical polymers, were investigated. For this purpose, low-temperature plasma treatment was used initially for activation of the polymeric surface, thereby enhancing surface and adhesion properties. Subsequently, preparation of porous microstructures was achieved by electrospinning technique using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in combination with polyamide (PA). Finally, natural black seed oil (BSO) infiltrated the produced fiber mats acting as a lubricating layer. The optimized fiber mats’ production was achieved using PDMS/PA mixture at ratio 1:1:20 (g/g/mL) using isopropyl alcohol as solvent. The surface properties of produced slippery surfaces were analyzed by various microscopic and optics techniques to obtain information about wettability, sliding behavior and surface morphology/topography. The modified PE and PU substrates demonstrated slippery behavior of an impinged water droplet at a small tilting angle. Moreover, the antimicrobial effects of the produced SLIPs using black seed oil were proven against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli).

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, the plasma parameters such as nominal power and treatment time were optimized in terms of achievement maximal wettability. The optimized plasma treatment time in air for PE and PU was 120 s (80 W nominal power) and 180 s (80 W nominal power), respectively [ 57 , 58 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Polymeric Surfaces Based on Natural Oil with Antimicrobial Effect

et al. 2021

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“…As shown in Table 1 , the spectrum of untreated LDPE powder revealed high carbon atomic concentrations (at.%) equal to 99.0 at.%. In addition, negligible traces of oxygen and nitrogen-containing functional groups present in the spectra of untreated LDPE samples are likely attributed to processing additives or residual air within the plasma chamber [ 17 ]. The atomic concentrations of the O 1s and N 1s peaks for untreated LDPE are equal to 0.5 at.% and 0.5 at.%, respectively.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nonetheless, this increase led to a reduction in the intensity of the C 1s peak to 90.2%. This effect is a result of the loss of some carbons throughout etching, radicalization, and substitution with groups containing oxygen [ 17 ]. Furthermore, as confirmed by Arpagaus et al [ 18 ], the increase in peak intensity for powder LDPE is proof of an effective and homogeneous treatment, which is due to close contact between the powder surface and the plasma-created species [ 19 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Separation of Emulsified Water/Oil Mixtures through Adsorption on Plasma-Treated Polyethylene Powder

et al. 2021

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This paper addresses the preparation and characterization of efficient adsorbents for tertiary treatment (oil content below 100 ppm) of oil/water emulsions. Powdered low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was modified by radio-frequency plasma discharge and then used as a medium for the treatment of emulsified diesel oil/water mixtures in the concentration range from 75 ppm to 200 ppm. Plasma treatment significantly increased the wettability of the LDPE powder, which resulted in enhanced sorption capability of the oil component from emulsions in comparison to untreated powder. Emulsions formed from distilled water and commercial diesel oil (DO) with concentrations below 200 ppm were used as a model of oily polluted water. The emulsions were prepared using ultrasonication without surfactant. The droplet size was directly proportional to sonication time and ranged from 135 nm to 185 nm. A sonication time of 20 min was found to be sufficient to prepare stable emulsions with an average droplet size of approximately 150 nm. The sorption tests were realized in a batch system. The effect of contact time and initial oil concentrations were studied under standard atmospheric conditions at a stirring speed of 340 rpm with an adsorbent particle size of 500 microns. The efficiency of the plasma-treated LDPE powder in oil removal was found to be dependent on the initial oil concentration. It decreased from 96.7% to 79.5% as the initial oil concentration increased from 75 ppm to 200 ppm. The amount of adsorbed oil increased with increasing contact time. The fastest adsorption was observed during the first 30 min of treatment. The adsorption kinetics for emulsified oils onto sorbent followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

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“…The plasma treatment methods vary from corona (atmospheric pressure) to vacuum-based RF plasma. All types were found to have similar effectiveness on the enhancement of the surface properties of polymers [17], even when the ionized gas species varied [18]. For nonthermal, low-temperature, and cold plasma, no heat is generated or required, and they only affect a layer of a few tens nanometers depth on the surface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparation of Progressive Antibacterial LDPE Surface via Active Biomolecule Deposition Approach

et al. 2019

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The use of polymers in all aspects of daily life is increasing considerably, so there is high demand for polymers with specific properties. Polymers with antibacterial properties are highly needed in the food and medical industries. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is widely used in various industries, especially in food packaging, because it has suitable mechanical and safety properties. Nevertheless, the hydrophobicity of its surface makes it vulnerable to microbial attack and culturing. To enhance antimicrobial activity, a progressive surface modification of LDPE using the antimicrobial agent grafting process was applied. LDPE was first exposed to nonthermal radio-frequency (RF) plasma treatment to activate its surface. This led to the creation of reactive species on the LDPE surface, resulting in the ability to graft antibacterial agents, such as ascorbic acid (ASA), commonly known as vitamin C. ASA is a well-known antioxidant that is used as a food preservative, is essential to biological systems, and is found to be reactive against a number of microorganisms and bacteria. The antimicrobial effect of grafted LDPE with ASA was tested against two strong kinds of bacteria, namely, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), with positive results. Surface analyses were performed thoroughly using contact angle measurements and peel tests to measure the wettability or surface free energy and adhesion properties after each modification step. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to analyze the surface morphology or topography changes of LDPE caused by plasma treatment and ASA grafting. Surface chemistry was studied by measuring the functional groups and elements introduced to the surface after plasma treatment and ASA grafting, using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These results showed wettability, adhesion, and roughness changes in the LDPE surface after plasma treatment, as well as after ASA grafting. This is a positive indicator of the ability of ASA to be grafted onto polymeric materials using plasma pretreatment, resulting in enhanced antibacterial activity.

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Modification of Polyethylene by RF Plasma in Different/Mixture Gases

Cited by 31 publications

References 47 publications

Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Polymeric Surfaces Based on Natural Oil with Antimicrobial Effect

Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Polymeric Surfaces Based on Natural Oil with Antimicrobial Effect

The Separation of Emulsified Water/Oil Mixtures through Adsorption on Plasma-Treated Polyethylene Powder

Preparation of Progressive Antibacterial LDPE Surface via Active Biomolecule Deposition Approach

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