POLYURETHANE FLUORINATION WITH A COLD-PLASMA TREATMENT

Polyurethanes are widely used especially in the biomedical field, but they present some disadvantages because of their surface behavior with regard to a specific surrounding. So, it seems interesting to fluorin ate the elastomer surface in order to decrease its surface energy and thereby to improve friction properties. Modification of polyurethane t hrough fluorinated plasmas treatments - CF4, SF6- leads to the wanted effect. However, a two-steps process - plasma treatment followed by gr afting of a fluorinated monomer - is also a good approach of fluorinat ion of polyurethane surface.