Molecular Surface Analysis and Depth‐Profiling of Polyethylene Modified by an Atmospheric Ar‐D2O Post‐Discharge. Issue 11 (21st July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cristaudo, Vanina; Collette, Stéphanie; Tuccitto, Nunzio; Poleunis, Claude; Melchiorre, Luigi Cesare; Licciardello, Antonino; Reniers, François; Delcorte, Arnaud
• Is Part Of: Plasma processes and polymers. Volume 13:Issue 11(2016)
• Page Start: 1106
• Page End: 1119
• Publication Date: 2016-07-21
• Subjects: atmospheric plasma treatment -- deuteration -- oxidation -- principal component analysis -- ToF‐SIMS molecular depth‐profiling; Plasma polymerization -- Periodicals; Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; Plasma chemistry -- Periodicals
• DOI: 10.1002/ppap.201600061
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1612-8850

Abstract

Abstract : The injection of water vapor into ambient "open air" plasmas for the treatment of polymers represents a promising functionalization route for industrial and medical applications. The present study reports a scientist‐independent methodology, based on the ToF‐SIMS (time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry) technique coupled with PCA/Wavelet‐PCA (principal component analysis), to probe the (sub) surface chemical/structural modifications induced by an atmospheric Ar‐D2 O post‐discharge on low density polyethylene (LDPE) films as a function of two external plasma parameters, namely sample‐torch distance and treatment time. The SIMS characterization identifies two different families of samples (type I and II) as a function of time and distance. The highest reactivity of the D2 O vapors with the LDPE films is achieved for times of few tens of seconds at a distance of 5 mm from the plasma source. Abstract : The reactivity of deuterated water vapors with PE films, modified by an atmospheric Ar‐D2 O post‐discharge, is traced both at the polymer surface and along the depth, by using static and dynamic time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The dependences of the oxidative functionalization on the time of treatment and the gap between sample and plasma source are elucidated in order to tune the chemical and structural modifications of the outermost polymer layers.