Zur Verbesserung der Verbundfestigkeit kann beim Kleben [1] oder Beschichten von Polymeren die Oberfläche mittels 02-Plasma gereinigt (Feinstreinigung) und aktiviert werden. Bei der Plasmaaktivierung werden sauerstoffhaltige funktionelle Gruppen auf der Oberfläche gebildet.
Die Polymersubstrate wurden mit 02-Plasma behandelt, zum einen mit einem Plasmajet bei 200 W (PP, PA) und zum anderen mit einem Mikrowellenplasma bei 100 W (Folie: PE, PP, PS, PC, PET), mittels FTIR-Spektroskopie (p-ATR) charakterisiert sowie die Änderung der Oberflächenenergie mittels Kontaktwinkelmessung bestimmt.
Plasma-chemical bromination applied to graphitic materials, in particular to highly ordered pyrolytic graphite is reviewed. The resulting bromination efficiency of the plasma-chemical treatment was subject of systematic process optimization. The plasma of elemental bromine vapour produced bromine concentrations on graphene surfaces of more than 30 % Br/C using either inductively or capacitively coupled low-pressure radio-frequency plasmas. Plasma brominated graphite surfaces have been studied by Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The introduction of bromine into graphene-like graphite layers and its binding situation were investigated. To study the physical effect of the plasma bromination process, Kr plasma was also used because of its chemical inertness but similar atomic mass. Covering the samples with a Faraday cage or with a LiF window should help to differentiate between physical, chemical and radiation effects of the plasma. Bromination was assigned to radical or electrophilic addition of bromine onto fully substituted aromatic double bonds (sp² C) with exothermal reaction enthalpy. Low bromination shows a strong decay of aromatic double bonds, higher bromination percentage let disappear all aromatic rings. The formed C–Br bonds were well suited for efficient grafting of organic molecules by post-plasma wet-chemical nucleophilic substitution. This grafting onto the graphene surface was demonstrated using aminosilane and different diamines. The bromination of double bonds changes the hybridization of carbon atoms from plane sp² to tetrahedral sp³ hybridization. Thus, the plane topography of graphene is destroyed and the conductivity is lost.
Various methods have been used for introducing fire retardant additives into polymers. Deposition of thick fire retardant coatings directly onto polymer substrates is an alternative technique. An important advantage of the coating technique is the preservation of the physical and chemical integrity of the polymer material. Moreover, the fire retardancy of the polymer materials can be achieved following their production. Suitable coating materials are inorganics, intumescent, char-forming, oxygendiluting, and cooling or radical quenching layers. The most important problem is to achieve sufficient coating thickness to withstand the direct attack of flame and to protect the polymer bulk from pyrolysis, otherwise blistering of coating, caused by emitted pyrolysis gases, is often observed. To avoid blistering of coating, the adhesion between polyolefin substrate and fire retardant coating has to be extraordinarily high.
In order to achieve such a high level of adhesion, the polymer surface has to be modified with adhesion-promoting functional groups. The deposition of thin plasma polymers as adhesion-promoting layers with NH2, OH or COOH groups has been the most suited method. These functional groups are able to form covalent bonds and other interactions between the fire-resistant coating and the plasma-modified polyolefin substrate. Additionally, the plasma polymer counteracts the strong mechanical stresses in the laminate on exposure to high temperatures by its flexibility.