Plasma Modification on Polyolefin: Necessity and Significance

Mild Catalytic Degradation of Crystalline Polyethylene Units in a Solid State Assisted by Carboxylic Acid Groups

“…11h,12,13 Also, PEs bearing COOH groups produced by postpolymerization functionalization are commercially sold as coronadischarge-treated PEs, which possess enhanced wettability and adhesiveness. 14 In this study, the mild degradation of carboxylated PEs (PE-COOH, M n = 8000−21,000, HDPE-or LDPE-like ones) to fragments with molecular weights close to common waxes (M n ≈ 500) has been achieved by Ce-photocatalysis and dioxygen as the only stoichiometric oxidant under mild conditions in a polar solvent (even in water) (Figure 1b-ii). 15,16 In addition to the use of wax itself, such degradation would facilitate further degradation, e.g., the gasification process, for two-step chemical recycling of PE-COOH.…”

“…To be noted, these carboxylated PEs, sold as EAA (ethylene acrylic acid copolymer), are polyolefin-like materials: LDPE-like PE-COOH is easily prepared by radical polymerization or coordination copolymerization of ethylene/acrylic acid or ethylene/acrylate ester (followed by hydrolysis); HDPE-like PE-COOH is available by coordination polymerization . Furthermore, these polymers are equipped with enhanced adhesion, mechanical toughness, and stiffness compared with simple PEs due to the combination of PE’s crystallinity and hydrogen bonding between carboxylic acid groups. ,, Also, PEs bearing COOH groups produced by postpolymerization functionalization are commercially sold as corona-discharge-treated PEs, which possess enhanced wettability and adhesiveness …”

Frontiers in the Interaction of Chemically Reactive Species From Gaseous Plasma With Hydrophobic Polymers

“…The interaction of gaseous plasma with polymers, polymer blends, and polymer composites has attracted enormous attention from the scientific community in the past decades [1][2][3]. Most authors agree that the interaction of gaseous plasma with polymers causes at least two effects [4]: i-surface functionalization and ii-etching.…”