Surface Plasma Modification and Characterization of Poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene)
Keywords:
polymer, plasma modification, characterization, surface propertiesAbstract
Plasma discharge was used to modify the ETFE surface properties. The changes induced by various plasma power and exposure time were determined by goniometry, gravimetric analysis and atomic force microscopy. It was found that a significant decrease of contact angle after plasma exposure is connected with the surface oxygen increase. Plasma treatment also induced a significant ablation of ETFE and fragmentation of its lamellar structure. The disruption of the lamellar structure was more pronounced for higher plasma power. It was found that by varying plasma power and exposure time it is possible to induce selective surface changes which can subsequently be used for various tissue engineering applications.