title: Surface modification of high-performance polymeric fibers by an oxygen plasma. A comparative study of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) and poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole).
abstract: Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) and poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers were exposed to an oxygen plasma under equivalent conditions. The resulting changes in the surface properties of PPTA and PBO were comparatively investigated using inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Both non-polar (n-alkanes) and polar probes of different acid-base characteristics were used in IGC adsorption experiments. Following plasma exposure, size-exclusion phenomena, probably associated to the formation of pores (nanoroughness), were detected with the largest n-alkanes (C(9) and C(10)). From the adsorption of polar probes, an increase in the number or strength of the acidic and basic sites present at the fiber surfaces following plasma treatment was detected. The effects of the oxygen plasma treatments were similar for PPTA and PBO. In both cases, oxygen plasma introduces polar groups onto the surfaces, involving an increase in the degree of surface nanoroughness. AFM measurements evidenced substantial changes in the surface morphology at the nanometer scale, especially after plasma exposure for a long time. For the PBO fibers, the outermost layer - contaminant substances - was removed thanks to the plasma treatment, which indicates that this agent had a surface cleaning effect.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional del Carbón, INCAR-CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain. katia@incar.csic.es
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamargo-Martínez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Alonso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villar-Rodil
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Paredes
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Montes-Morán
authors.forename: J M D
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tascón
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D010080:Oxazoles; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D058626:Plasma Gases; D011108:Polymers; C073843:poly(4-phenylene terephthalamide); C450140:poly(4-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole); D010100:Oxygen