Surface activation of perfluorinated polymers

The further development of a method to activate the surface of non-porous p erfluorinated polymers are described. A closed layer of polysilicic acid wa s formed on the surfaces of perfluorinated polymers through treatment with SiCl4 and HP. The layer was firmly anchored to the polymers through a mixed layer composed of polysilicic acid and perfluorinated polymer. The treatme nt enabled the surface activation of polymer samples independently of their shape and the thickness of the polysilicic acid layer could be influenced by the reaction conditions. The primary structure of the perfluorinated pol ymer remained essentially unchanged. The first results on the further funct ionalisation of the modified polymers with silane coupling agents, as the b asis for the building of multilayer composites, is described. The system pe rfluorinated polymer/polysilicic acid/silane coupling agent was characteris ed using SEM, EDX, XPS, IR, DSC and contact angle measurements, with respec t to the surface morphology, chemical composition and activation as well as the distribution of the polysilicic acid on the surface and within the per fluorinated polymer. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.