The surface modification of polyethylene by solution‐phase photochemical grafting using short irradiation times

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Abstract
The surface modification of low‐density polyethylene by solution‐phase photochemical grafting with acrylic acid and acrylamide is described. After irradiation for 3 min, the contact angles of the modified surfaces with water were ca. 20, 30, and 40°C and ca. 40, 40, and 80°C for grafting solutions containing 2M, 1M, and 0.1M of acrylamide and acrylic acid respectively. X‐Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATRIR) of the modified polyethylene surfaces were consistent with the presence of grafts of polyacrylamide or poly(acrylic acid). Grafting using low concentrations of monomers, that is, 0.1M, resulted in a small, 20° decrease in contact angle for grafting with acrylic acid but a larger, 60°C decrease for acrylamide. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.