Chemical-composition and Physicochemical Properties of Polymer Surfaces

The analysis of polymer surfaces in terms of functional groups can be undertaken by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Correlations between chemical composition and water contact angle indicate the dependence of polymer wettability on the surface concentration of oxygen carrying a high electron density, whatever the specific functional groups present. Electrokinetic methods, which can be applied to plates or films, provide tools for examining the surface electric properties and for detecting ionizable groups at polymer surfaces. Surface characterization provides basic information for understanding the adhesion process through molecular interactions. However the study of polypropylene has shown that adhesiveness is not only influenced by surface properties but also by the deformability of the polymer and, consequently, by its crystallinity and its thermal history.