Effects of flame treatment on the interfacial energy of polyethylene assessed by contact mechanics

The effects of flame treatment of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) on the work of adhesion (W) and energy release rate (G) were assessed by a custom-built adhesion testing device (ATD). The contact area and the vertical displacement between planar LDPE films and PDMS lenses (untreated and UV/ozone treated) were varied as a function of the applied load, P. The adhesion and pull-off forces between the extracted PDMS lenses and the LDPE films were studied as a function of the duration of the flame treatment expressed in treatment numbers. A fracture mechanics approach was used to relate the applied load and the radius of the contact area to the energy release rate (G). The difference between the energy release rate and the thermodynamic work of adhesion, defined as the adhesion hysteresis (G - W), increased systematically with increasing treatment numbers for both lens types. In addition, the adhesion hysteresis appeared to be dependent on the contact time. Finally, the origin of the adhesion hysteresis was discussed. It was concluded that bonding by surface functional groups may be the dominating mechanisms for the changes in the observed hysteresis.     

Adhesion of linear low-density polyethylene and oligomers

A pressure vessel design is put forward taking the form of a two-layer bottle, the inner sealing layer of which is made of linear low density polyethylene by rotational molding and the external power layer of which is made by winding an oligomer impregnated roving or moldable filament on the inner layer. It is shown that, to achieve the highest adhesion strength, it is necessary to preliminarily prepare the surface of the polyethylene sample by obtaining a particular microstructure and to use epoxy or polyester oligomers with a viscosity low enough to provide complete filling of the polyethylene sample surface texture.     

Influence of free surface energy of polymers on formation of their interphase contact with oxyethylated isononylphenol

The interconnection of the surface energy characteristics of polymers in a wide range of acid-base constituents of the free surface energy and their adhesive interaction with adducts of ethylene oxide and isononylphenol was investigated. It was shown that the content of the polar groups in the polymer surface layer and the length of the oxyethylene chain additively influence the wetting ability and the work of adhesion. The peculiarities of the adhesive interaction of high pressure polyethylene with oxyethylated compounds depending on the thermal oxidation of polymer and the acidity parameters of the surface were revealed.     

Surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane with photo-grafted poly(ethylene glycol) for micropatterned protein adsorption and cell adhesion

In this study, we applied photo-induced graft polymerization to micropatterned surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with poly(ethylene glycol). Two types of monomers, polyethylene glycol monoacrylate (PEGMA) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), were tested for surface modification of PDMS. Changes in the surface hydrophilicity and surface element composition were characterized by contact angle measurement and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. The PEGMA-grafted PDMS surfaces gradually lost their hydrophilicity within two weeks. In contrast, the PEGDA-grafted PDMS surface maintained stable hydrophilic characteristics for more than two months. Micropatterned protein adsorption and micropatterned cell adhesion were successfully demonstrated using PEGDA-micropatterned PDMS surfaces, which were prepared by photo-induced graft polymerization using photomasks. The PEGDA-grafted PDMS exhibited useful characteristics for microfluidic devices (e.g. hydrophilicity, low protein adsorption, and low cell attachment). The technique presented in this study will be useful for surface modification of various research tools and devices.     

Adhesion forces in liquid media: effect of surface topography and wettability

This work was motivated by the unexpected values of adhesion forces measured between an atomic force microscopy tip and the hydrophobic surface of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Two types of samples with different roughness but similar wettability were tested. Adhesion forces of similar magnitude were obtained in air and in polar liquids (water and Hank's Balanced Salt Solution, a saline solution) with the rougher sample. In contrast, the adhesion forces measured on the smoother sample in air were much higher than those measured in water or in the aqueous solution. Those experimental results suggested the presence of nanobubbles at the interface between the rough sample and the polar liquids. The existence of the nanobubbles was further confirmed by the images of the interface obtained in noncontact tapping mode. The adhesion forces measured in a nonpolar liquid (hexadecane) were small and of the same order of magnitude for both samples and their values were in good agreement with the predictions of the London-Hamaker approach for the van der Waals interactions. Finally, we correlate the appearance of nanobubbles with surface topography. The conclusion of this work is that adhesion forces measured in aqueous media may be strongly affected by the presence of nanobubbles if the surface presents topographical accidents.     

Characterization by Raman microspectrometry of residual compressive stresses induced by resin curing in single filament composite samples

The present work concerns monofilament composite samples used in the pull-out test to quantify the effect of different fibre surface treatments on the adhesion of a high modulus polyethylene in a polyester resin. Optical observations revealed local deformations induced by a compressive stress generated in the fibre by the resin shrinkage during the curing. The sensitivity of the polyethylene Raman peak at 1130 cm⁻¹ to elastic strain has been used to characterize the local compression state still present in the fibre after the curing. The results show residual stresses varying along the fibre embedded length up to a level depending on the applied surface treatment i.e. on the degree of adhesion between the fibre and the resin. This is consistent with the localization and the morphologies of shear bands observed in the samples. More the Raman microspectrometry has been used to determine the tensile stress profile along the embedded part of the fibre when its free part is stretched. Corrected of the initial compression state this profile represents the stress transfer effectively realized from the fibre to the resin for different adhesion conditions. Its knowledge is very useful to clarify the interface damage and pull-out mechanisms.     

Surface modification of polyethylene for improving the adhesion of a highly fluorinated UV-cured coating

The surface of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was modified by grafting a photoinitiator on it, after an Ar plasma treatment. The functionalisation was characterized by contact angle measurements, XPS analyses and AFM. The grafted LDPE was then coated with a UV-curable formulation based on highly fluorinated oligomers. Although the surface tension of the coating is very low, a good adhesion onto the substrate was obtained due to the surface treatment which was applied.     

Adhesion mechanisms of grafted polyolefins

By comparing surface properties assessed by wettability measurements with polymer-metal adhesion strength determined by peeling for different grafted polyolefins (acrylic acid grafted polyethylene, acrylic acid and maleic anhydride grafted poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate), maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene), a general adhesion mechanism can be proposed. The surface polarity is not the main determining parameter for adhesion. Polyolefin-aluminium adhesion is obtained through chemical bonding of acid groups grafted in the polymer bulk and basic groups present on the aluminium.     

Adhesion and anti-adhesion of viscous fluids on solid surfaces--a study of ink transfer mechanism in waterless offset printing

The transfer of a liquid under dynamic conditions onto a solid surface relies on wetting/adhesion under transient external forces. We found the phenomena associated with forced wetting and dewetting could not be explained by thermodynamic approaches which are based on surface energy and work of adhesion. This is because these approaches do not take account of the dynamic nature of the forced wetting and dewetting. This study uses ink transfer in waterless offset printing as an example to present a new understanding of adhesion and anti-adhesion of a liquid to a solid surface under dynamic conditions. We focus on the adhesion strength, instead of work of adhesion, at the ink-plate interface and experimentally quantified ink adhesion forces on the image and non-image areas of the printing plate. Based on adhesion force measurements we proposed that the formation of a weak boundary layer and/or the softening the non-image area due to solvent swelling are likely to be the mechanisms that causes ink refusal on the non-image area. AFM images are presented to show changes of the non-image surface before and after contacting with ink.     

Adhesion of a pair of polyethylene moldings by polyethylene gels

It was found that polyethylene gels in solvents such as benzene, toluene, xylene, decalin, tetralin, tetrachloroethylene, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, and chlorobenzene are effective for adhesion of a pair of polyethylene plates. In particular, the adhesion strength of polyethylene gels in decalin, tetralin and tetrachloroethylene was strong enough for practical use.Adhesive effect appears due to local dissolution of the surface of polyethylene plate in contact with the gel with increasing temperature, and subsequent recrystallization.     

Thermodynamics of capillary adhesion between rough surfaces

According to the Dupré equation, the work of adhesion is equal to the surface energy difference in the separated versus the joined materials minus an interfacial energy term. However, if a liquid is at the interface between two solid materials, evaporation or condensation takes place under equilibrium conditions. The resulting matter exchange is accompanied by heat flow, and can reduce or increase the work of adhesion. Accounting for the energies requires an open-system control volume analysis based on the first law of thermodynamics. Depending on whether evaporation or condensation occurs during separation, a work term that is negative or positive must be added to the surface energy term to calculate the work of adhesion. We develop and apply this energy balance to several different interface geometries and compare the work of adhesion to the surface energy created. The model geometries include a sphere on a flat with limiting approximations and also with an exact solution, a circular disc, and a combination of these representing a rough interface. For the sphere on a flat, the work of adhesion is one half the surface energy created if equilibrium is maintained during the pull-off process.     

超高分子量聚乙烯纤维表面改性的研究进展

超高分子量聚乙烯(UHMWPE)纤维具有诸多优异性能,因此被广泛应用于纤维增强复合材料(FRP)。但是由于UHMWPE纤维表面光滑且无极性基团,与树脂基体粘接性差,可通过纤维表面改性有效提高FRP的界面强度,进而提升材料性能。本文总结了近几年基于化学处理、等离子体处理、电晕放电和辐射引发表面接枝等方法对UHMWPE纤维表面改性的研究进展,并对改性方法的发展进行了展望。     

An Investigation of Plasma-Polymer Interactions by Mass Spectrometry

Surface modification of polymers by low-pressure plasmas has gained scientific and industrial importance for controlling adhesion of coatings, wettability, printability, bio-compatibility and other surface-related properties. However, more is to be learned about the complex interactions at the plasma-polymer interface. The present study is designed to investigate these plasma-polymer surface interactions by means of mass spectrometry. Various polymer specimens (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyimide) were placed directly on an electrode which contains the sampling aperture into a quadrupole mass spectrometer. We have identified various molecular fragments from these polymers, which were liberated by chain scissions provoked by various energetic plasma constituents, in particular, bombarding ions and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons.     

仿生沉积法制备水下低气体黏附透明材料

透明材料常用于水下设备中,而聚合物透明材料多较为疏水,在水下易黏附气泡,影响其光学性能.利用多巴胺(DA)和聚乙烯亚胺(PEI)共沉积技术,在多种透明聚合物材料表面构建了亲水/水下超疏气涂层.结果表明,聚多巴胺(PDA)与PEI可通过Michael加成或Schiff碱反应在此类材料表面形成亲水交联网络,显著提高其表面亲水性.表现为水接触角显著降低,而水下气接触角显著提高(140?),气泡在材料表面的黏附力显著下降.沉积时间在6 h以下时,XPS和椭圆偏振测试的结果表明,虽然所选用的透明材料表面沉积量和沉积厚度随时间有所上升,但其透光性不会受到显著影响.该方法具有较强的普适性,可用于多种水下气体黏附性较强的透明高分子材料,如聚苯乙烯(PS)、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)、聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)、聚丙烯(PP)和聚酰亚胺(PI)等.同时,该方法形成的涂层的长期稳定性也较好,材料在水中浸泡振荡10天之后仍能保持较好的抗气泡黏附能力.该方法适用于如潜水艇舷窗、护目镜、水下光学镜头及其防护罩等水下设备中.     

Controlling adhesion force by means of nanoscale surface roughness

Control of adhesion is a crucial aspect in the design of microelectromechanical and nanoelectromechanical devices. To understand the dependence of adhesion on nanometer-scale surface roughness, a roughness gradient has been employed. Monomodal roughness gradients were fabricated by means of silica nanoparticles (diameter ～12 nm) to produce substrates with varying nanoparticle density. Pull-off force measurements on the gradients were performed using (polyethylene) colloidal-probe microscopy under perfluorodecalin, in order to restrict interactions to van der Waals forces. The influence of normal load on pull-off forces was studied and the measured forces compared with existing Hamaker-approximation-based models. We observe that adhesion force reaches a minimum value at an optimum particle density on the gradient sample, where the mean particle spacing becomes comparable with the diameter of the contact area with the polyethylene sphere. We also observe that the effect on adhesion of increasing the normal load depends on the roughness of the surface.     

Surface modification of polyethylene terephthalate using PEO-polybutadiene-PEO triblock copolymers

The initial step of thrombus formation on blood-contacting biomaterials is known to be adsorption of blood proteins followed by platelet adhesion. It is generally accepted that surface modification of the biomaterials with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) substantially reduces protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Dacron® (polyethylene terephthalate) fabric, which is one of the biomaterials commonly used in blood-contacting devices, was grafted with PEO. A simple two-step procedure for covalent grafting of PEO onto the surface of Dacron® fabric was used. The surface was first treated with PEO-polybutadiene-PEO (PEO-PB-PEO) triblock copolymer, to introduce a layer of double bonds onto the surface. The Dacron® surface was then exposed to a solution of Pluronic® F108 (PF108), a commercially available PEO-poly(propylene oxide)-PEO (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock copolymer. The surface with two adsorbed layers of PEO-PB-PEO and PF108 was γ-irradiated in the presence of PF108 in the bulk solution for a total radiation dose of 0.8 Mrad. The bulk concentrations of PEO-PB-PEO and PF108 were varied to maximize the efficiency of PEO grafting. Fibrinogen adsorption on PEO-grafted surfaces was reduced more than 90%, compared with that on control surfaces, irrespective of the bulk concentrations of polymers used for grafting. Platelet adhesion was also reduced substantially by PEO grafting. Only a few round platelets were able to adhere to the PEO-grafted surface, while the control surface was fully covered with aggregates of activated platelets. PEO grafting on polyethylene terephthalate using PEO-PB-PEO and PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers is a simple approach that can be used for various other biomaterials.     

Acid treatment for functionalizing polyethylene fiber surfaces for enhanced adhesion to epoxy resins

The utility of high-strength, high-modulus polyethylene fibers in fiber-reinforced composites is limited due to its poor interfacial adhesion to various polymeric matrices. One way to overcome this limitation is to introduce reactive functionalities on the fiber surface capable of covalently bonding to matrix resins. Ultra high-strength polyethylene (UHSPE) fibers were treated with chlorosulfonic acid. The surface acid groups were found to considerably improve the interfacial adhesion between polyethylene fibers and epoxy resins as shown by the microbond test. These surface functionalities were found to improve the fiber wettability, as shown by contact angle measurements using the Wilhelmy balance method. Colorimetric measurements of methylene blue absorption were used to quantify the surface concentrations of the acid groups. It was possible to functionalize the UHSPE fiber surfaces using this method to obtain fibers that formed a stronger adhesive bond with epoxy resins; this was achievable without sacrificing other fiber mechanical properties.     

Effects of Various Cell Surface Engineering Reactions on the Biological Behavior of Mammalian Cells

Cell surface engineering technologies can regulate cell function and behavior by modifying the cell surface. Previous studies have mainly focused on investigating the effects of cell surface engineering reactions and materials on cell activity. However, they do not comprehensively analyze other cellular processes. This study exploits covalent bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interactions to modify the macromolecules succinimide ester-methoxy polyethylene glycol (NHS-mPEG), distearoyl phosphoethanolamine-methoxy polyethylene glycol (DSPE-mPEG), and poly-L -lysine (PLL), respectively, on the cell surface. This work systematically investigates the effects of the three surface engineering reactions on the behavior of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human skin fibroblasts, including viability, growth, proliferation, cell cycle, adhesion, and migration. The results reveals that the PLL modification method notably affects cell viability and G2/M arrest and has a short modification duration. However, the DSPE-mPEG and NHS-mPEG modification methods have little effect on cell viability and proliferation but have a prolonged modification duration. Moreover, the DSPE-mPEG modification method highly affects cell adherence. Further, the NHS-mPEG modification method can significantly improve the migration ability of HUVECs by reducing the area of focal adhesions. The findings of this study will contribute to the application of cell surface engineering technology in the biomedical field.     

Surface amine‐functionalization of UHMWPE fiber by bio‐inspired polydopamine and grafted hexamethylene diamine

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers exhibit excellent mechanical property, but their low surface activity limits the application in many fields. In this work, an efficient method was used to improve the surface activity and adhesion property of UHMWPE fibers. The amine functionalized UHMWPE fibers were prepared by the combination of bio‐inspired polydopamine (PDA) and grafted hexamethylene diamine (HMDA). The chemical structure of UHMWPE fibers was characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The surface morphologies and mechanical property of the fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and tensile testing respectively. In addition, a single‐fiber pull‐out test was carried out to investigate the adhesion property of the fibers with epoxy resin matrix. The results showed that PDA was coated on the surface of UHMWPE fibers and then HMDA was successfully grafted on the PDA layers. The excellent mechanical property of UHMWPE fibers had no obvious change. Compared with the pristine UHMWPE fibers, the interfacial shear strength of the PDA coated UHMWPE fibers with the epoxy resin matrix improved by 28.3%, while the IFSS of the HMDA grafted UHMWPE fibers had an increase of 82.7%. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis of pineapple fibre reinforced polyethylene composites

The thermal behaviour of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced polyethylene composites was studied by thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Fibre treatment was carried out using isocyanate, silane and peroxide to improve the interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix. The effects of fibre loading and surface modification on the thermal properties were evaluated. It was found that at high temperature PALF degrades before the polyethylene matrix. The storage modulus increased with increase of fibre loading and decreased with increase of temperature. The treated fibre composites impart better properties compared to untreated system. Tan δ showed a distinct peak at low temperature ascribed to the glass transition temperature of polyethylene but no peak was observed for PALF fibre. The relative damping increased with fibre loading. Cole-Cole analysis was made to understand the phase behaviour of the composite samples.