MULTITECHNIQUE STUDY OF HEXATRIACONTANE SURFACES MODIFIED BY ARGON AND OXYGEN RF PLASMAS - EFFECT OF TREATMENT TIME AND FUNCTIONALIZATION, AND COMPARISON WITH HDPE

Hexatriacontane (C36H74) has been used as a model molecule for the stu dy of the surface modifications of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in argon and oxygen radio-frequency (RF) plasmas. The combination of sta tic secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), ion scattering spectroscop y (ISS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle mea surements has constituted a powerful method for the investigation of t he surface modifications induced by the plasma treatments. The surface degradation and functionalization are shown to depend on both the nat ure of the treated material and the nature of the plasma atmosphere. T he SSIMS results obtained on plasma-modified hexatriacontane and HDPE are compared in order to identify the nature of the functionalities pr esent at the plasma-treated surfaces. Finally, plasma treatment 180 at mosphere was performed on HDPE, C36H74, and polystyrene (PS). In that case, the isotopic specificity of both ISS and SIMS allowed the determ ination of the relative concentrations of O-16 and O-18 in relation to the probed depth and plasma atmosphere.