Surface Modification Of Polypropylene By The Entrapping Method Using The Short-Chained Stearyl-Alcohol Poly(Ethylene Oxide) Ether Modifier

On the basis of the short-chained modifier of stearyl-alcohol poly(ethylene oxide) ether (AEO), an entrapping modification was carried out on the polypropylene (PP) surface for hydrophilic improvement. A swelling layer was confirmed locating in the amorphous region on the PP surface, from which the modifiers could penetrate into the surface. The AEO-8 modifier achieved the optimal hydrophilic modification on the surface with a contact angle of 20.6 degrees and modifier coverage of 19.2%. A microphase separation was speculated to occur between the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chain of AEO and the PP substrate in the entrapping surface, after which surface-enriched PEO chains could improve surface hydrophilicity, simultaneously, reserved stearyl chains in the surface could approach modifier fixation. Water immersion durability of the modified surface could be improved by establishing a covalent linkage in the surface-fixed structure. This work gives more comprehensive insights in the entrapping modification on the semi-crystalline PP surface based on the short-chained and block modifier. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43607.