Studies on the surface properties and the adhesion to metal of polyethylene coatings modified with primary aromatic amines

The surface free energy and acid-base characteristics of polyethylene coati ngs formed on steel in the presence of primary aromatic amines (PAAs) were investigated. PAAs were shown to interact with steel by a donor-acceptor me chanism. An increase in the coating adhesion is realized through chemical a nd physical bond formation between an adhesive and a substrate with the hel p of the PAA. The free surface energy of the contact-to-metal side of these coatings modified with PAA was shown to grow in parallel with the increase in adhesion. The results correlate with the data on polyethylene surface w etting with nonionic surfactants. Acid-base interactions were found to exer t primary control over polyethylene's adhesion to steel. (C) 2001 John Wile y & Sons, Inc.