Surface modification of polyethylene by a simple post-

treatment method
SEYHAN, Aybeniz1, GUNAYDIN, Beyza Nur1, POLAT, Yusuf1,2, KILIC, Ali1,3, DEMIR, Ali1,3,
AVCI, Huseyin4,5
1
TEMAG Labs, Textile Tech. and Design Faculty, Istanbul Tech. Uni., Istanbul, Turkey
2
Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara Uni., Istanbul, Turkey
3
Textile Engineering, Textile Tech. and Design Faculty, Istanbul Tech. Uni., Istanbul, Turkey
4
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Engineering - Architecture Faculty, Eskisehir
Osmangazi Uni., Eskisehir, Turkey
5
AvciBio Research Group, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey www.avcibio.com
havci@ogu.edu.tr

PURPOSE SIMCO ION CM5 device with point to plane

Corona discharge method has been studied to increase
the adhesive property of the polyethylene surface.
Different sets of design parameters were applied to
investigate the effect of atmospheric plasma treatment
onto linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) fibers
produced by our modified melt-spinning line.
geometry was used for discharge. The effect of
electrostatic charge application was detected by
SIMCO ION TM FMX-003 electrostatic field meter.
Contact angle measurements were done according to
the static sessile drop method at temperature 23°C
with a KSV Attension Theta Lite optical tensiometer.

INTRODUCTION EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND

Polyethylene (PE) has a leading usage portion in DISCUSSIONS
polymer industries including filament production and Prior to applying corona discharge on melt-spun
composite materials. Performance fibers having high LLDPE filaments, 0.07 mm thick film samples of the
tensile strength can be used alone or as a composite same polymer have been prepared. They have been
material in thermoset or thermoplastic resins. Due to its processed in atmospheric conditions according to
simple chain structure, lack of functional groups and parameters described in Table 1. The working
non-polar nature, polyethylene surfaces show poor distance between the electrodes and the PE surfaces
adhesion and incompatible fiber-resin interface which was set to 6 cm for all samples. Achieved surface
significantly affects the mechanical properties of modification is showed to be time-dependent.
composites. Therefore, the surface properties of PE Electrostatic field measurements indicate that higher
fibers to be produced in a modified melt spinning line voltage applications are efficient in the short run.
need improvement. For this purpose, corona discharge, Nevertheless, the application of relatively lower
which is counted as a physical modification method, voltage (20 kV) peaks in a longer time period.
provides an environmentally friendly and effective
treatment2. Studies reveal that plasma treatment Table 1. Electrostatic field measurements (FM) of
effectively increases surface roughness and identical LLDPE film samples with the various
functionality, and then various grafting and silane voltage applications.
coatings may be applied to it for further improvement FM FM FM FM
Applied
on the adhesive behavior of polyethylene1. (kV, (kV, (kV, (kV,
Sample Voltage
t=0 t=5 t=10 t=15
(-kV)
EXPERIMENTAL min) min) min) min)
Material 1 20 0.1 -1.0 -0.4 -2.0
The ASPUN™ 6000 linear low-density polyethylene 2 25 0.1 -1.0 -2.9 -2.5
(LLDPE) MFI, 19 and density, 0.935 g/cm3 was 3 30 0.1 -2.0 -4.2 -3.7
received from Dow Chemical Company.
Contact angle with the water on the film samples has
Method been investigated. Regarding to the primary
Polyethylene films were prepared by a laboratory experiment, discharge voltage has been decreased to
scaled film extrusion machine with 0.07 mm thickness. 15 kV, and working distance has been set to 5 mm. As
Monofilament fibers were produced by a single screw given in Table 2, the wettability of PE samples has
extruder melt spinning line with 0.6 mm spinneret been improved gradually as the discharge duration
diameter at 2250 m/min take-up speed.

136
increased. A drop of 14.5% surface tension between the
control and treated sample has been achieved, which is
an indication of surface energy increase.
Table 2. Electrostatic field measurements (FM) of
identical LLDPE film samples with the various
voltage applications at 5 mm working distance.
Applied Duration Contact
Sample
Voltage (-kV) (min) Angle (°)
Control - - 77.1±0.3
1 15 5 68.3±1.9
2 15 10 65.9±0.7
According to the literature, the experimental design has
been rearranged for fiber application. Working distance
was kept at strictly 5 mm, which has been proved to be
efficient. The literature has shown that voltages applied
in the range of 10-15 kV have an increasing effect on
PE surface wettability and adhesion performance1,3,4.
Figure 1. Comparison of the contact angle
measurements of 10 kV charged both control and
modified filament samples.
The modification in the melt-spinning line results in a
straighter fiber alignment and higher surface tension.
Line-modified fibers showed a higher degree of
hydrophobicity in comparison with the control sample.
When control and modified fibers are exposed to corona
treatment at 10kV, their hydrophobic character
weakens, and contact angles have been decreased for
both sets of fibers. Longer process time results slightly
worse than the 5-min procedure. In a short interval of
application time, modified fiber’s wettability behavior
(CA 106.3°) resembles the one of untreated control
samples (CA 101.3°) with an 12% increase.
137
CONCLUSIONS
Film and melt-spun filament samples have been
produced with LLDPE. Corona treatment on film
surfaces showed that lower voltage with a shorter
distance between electrodes and surface results in a
longer-lasting charge effect. Applications on
filaments demonstrated that better hydrophilicity can
be achieved with a narrow time window. Modified
melt-spinning line allows fibers to be produced with
higher tensile properties in comparison with
conventional melt-spinning production. However, it
decreases the LLDPE fibers’ wettability. Corona
treatment restores and advances its adhesive behavior
in measure of hydrophilicity. Same to better results
with shorter treatment duration enables the possibility
of in-line plasma modification of fibers along the
melt-spinning line.
FUTURE STUDIES
The effect of corona discharge on fibers will be
investigated for medium and high-density PE. Upon
reaching the optimum wettability, mechanical
performance of the fibers, which are produced by our
modified melt-spin line, are planned to be evaluated
in composite applications.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to TUBITAK (Project
Number: 117Z673) for the financial support of this
research. The authors also thankfully acknowledge
Dow Chemical Company for providing ASPUN™
6000 LLDPE.
LITERATURE
1. Iwata, H., Kishida, A., Suzuki, M., Hata, Y. and
Ikada, Y. 1988. “Oxidation of polyethylene
surface by corona discharge and the subsequent
graft polymerization”, Journal of Polymer
Science: Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 26, 3309-
3322.
2. Li, C., Shi, Y., Zhang, R., Wang, G., Jia, J. 2019.
“Effect of surface modifications on the properties
of UHMWPE fibres and their composites”, e-
Polymers, 19, 40-49.
3. Kim, C. Y. and Goring, D. A. I. 1971. “Surface
morphology of polyethylene after treatment in a
corona discharge”, Journal of Applied Polymer
Science, 15, 1537-1364.
4. Novak, I, Pollak, V. and Chodak, I. 2006. “Study
of surface properties of polyolefins modified by
corona discharge plasma”, Plasma Processes and
Polymers, 355-364.