ALPHA-AMINO ACID BETA-HYDROXYSILOXANES ON E-GLASS FIBERS

alpha-Amino acid-beta-hydroxysiloxanes prepared previously by our grou p were coupled to E-glass fibers to gain a better understanding of the surface processes at the polymer-glass interface of composite materia ls. Use of DRIFT (diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spect roscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), and SEM techniques a llowed for the qualitative and quantitative determination of such proc esses. Our studies indicate that binding to the E-glass is occurring t hrough different mechanisms, primarily hydrogen bonding, as evidenced by DRIFT and SEM. XPS studies confirm that the amino group is binding to the surface, as evidenced by the formation of two amino states, a c ovalent nonprotonated and an ionic protonated form. A theoretical mode l depicting the binding of polymer to E-glass fibers has also been pro posed.