Surface phosphonylation of low-density polyethylene

✍ Scribed by Jacqueline M. Allan; R. Larry Dooley; Shalaby W. Shalaby

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 171 KB
• Volume: 76
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(20000624)76:13<1870::aid-app4>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

Surface phosphonylation of thermoplastic polymers was previously demonstrated in both the liquid and gas phase. For the present study, the phosphonylation process was modified through the use of a two-chamber reactor and a dynamic oxygen flow in an effort to secure greater control of the gas phase reaction. Low-density polyethylene films were phosphonylated at both ambient and elevated temperatures for time periods ranging from 15 to 60 min. Subsequently, all films were analyzed by SEM, EDX, horizontal ATR-FTIR, surface roughness, and dynamic contact angle measurements. Analysis of the data indicates that after 15 min at ambient temperature, films do not phosphonylate to a degree that could be detected by the chosen methods. Phosphonylation was achieved at 30 and 60 min at ambient temperature, and at 60 min at 45°C. The data indicate that optimal conditions for gas phase phosphonylation in the described apparatus are 25°C for times greater than 15 min but less than 60 min.