Surface graft polymerization of ionic monomers onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) by UV‐irradiation without degassing

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Abstract
Graft polymerization of anionic and cationic monomers was performed onto the surface of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film with a simultaneous UV irradiation method, but using no photo‐sensitizer. To effect graft polymerization, the PET film was immersed in an aqueous solution containing a monomer and periodate (NaIO4) of appropriate concentrations, followed by UV irradiation without degassing. The monomers used were 2‐acrylamide‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid and acrylic acid as anionic and N,N‐dimethyl aminopropyl acrylamide and dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate as cationic monomer. The role of NaIO4 at the polymerization was to make the concentration of oxygen dissolved in solution zero by the photochemical reaction with the oxygen. The surface structure of grafted films was characterized by their contact angle, dyeing, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and zeta potentials. Graft polymerization took place, not merely on the outermost surface, but also within the thin surface region of the PET film without any change in bulk properties. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.