Surface nanaostructure evolution of functionalized polypropylene fibers

✍ Scribed by Qufu Wei; Yingying Wang; Xueqian Wang; Fenglin Huang; Shengwei Yang

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 355 KB
• Volume: 106
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8995
• DOI: 10.1002/app.25401

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

It is well‐known that fiber surface characteristics affect friction, wetting, conductivity, and other performance properties. This paper reports the evolution of the surface nanostructures of meltblown polypropylene (PP) fibers during the process of plasma treatment followed by copper (Cu) sputter coating. The effects of plasma treatment and Cu sputter coating on the surface morphology, chemistry, and properties of the fibers were characterized using scanning probe microscope (SPM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), and electrical analysis. The atomic force mode (AFM) and lateral force mode (LFM) in the SPM were used to scan the fiber surface. AFM observations revealed the evolution of the surface morphology formed by surface treatment. The LFM images also indicated the change in surface nanomechanical behavior. A full energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX) mounted on the ESEM was used to examine the change in the chemical compositions of the functional surfaces. The electrical properties of the functionalized materials were analyzed using electrical resistance test. The Cu sputter coating significantly altered the surface conductivity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007