Chain Conformation and Surface Characteristics of Polymers

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Abstract
Films of styrene-butyl acrylate copolymers when pre-conditioned in polar or non-polar media, have been used for measurements of critical surface tension, for retention volume measurements by inverse gas chromatography, and as adhesives in joints with aluminium sheet. It has been shown that large variations in surface tension, and particularly in the non-dispersive force contribution, are generated by exposing the polymer to diverse media. Specific retention volumes indicate that the copolymer surface becomes enriched in polar groups when exposed to polar media including water and formamide. The peel strength of Al-polymer joints can be roughly doubled when the polymer surface is pre-conditioned in polar rather than in non-polar media. The magnitude of property variations diminishes with increasing content of the acrylic moiety in the polymer. The results are interpreted as showing that the surface conformation of polymer chains is such as to diminish or enrich the surface concentration of polar moieties, depending on whether the polymer is in contact with polar or non-polar media. The proposed surface re-conformation appears to be reversible, and to proceed by diffusion-dependent rate processes. This evidence elaborates on the importance of attenuated responses in macromolecules to physico-chemical forces, and on the consequences of these responses to bulk as well as surface and interfacial properties of the polymer.

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