AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition
    Applied Surface Science Tuesday Sessions
       Session AS+BI-TuA

Paper AS+BI-TuA8
Effect of Deep UV Irradiation on Polyester Family Polymers

Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 4:40 pm, Room 212D

Session: Challenges in the Characterization of Polymer/Organic/ Biological Systems
Presenter: Lopamudra Das, College of William and Mary
Authors: L. Das, College of William and Mary
M.J. Kelley, College of William and Mary
Correspondent: Click to Email
In films and fibers, desired attributes of these polymers are often surface-mediated. Radical chemistry launched by deep UV offers attractive opportunities for surface modification, free of the environmental burdens of wet chemistry. We report the effect of 172 nm irradiation in the absence of oxygen on PET, PTT, PBT and PEN films, observed by FTIR, XPS and ToF-SIMS. Initial findings include carboxylic acid production and a loss of carbonyl carbon. To better understand surface reactivity, samples of each polymer were treated with silver trifluoroacetate or with heavy water.