Surface characterization of plasma-treated polypropylene fibers

Plasma treatment is increasingly being used for surface modification of different materials in many industries. In this study, different techniques were employed to characterize the surface properties of plasma treated polypropylene fibers. The chemical nature of the fiber surfaces has been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS examination indicated the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on fiber surfaces after plasma treatment. The Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) scans revealed the evolution of surface morphology under different experimental conditions. A Philips Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) was also used to study the wetting behavior of the fibers. In the ESEM, relative humidity can be raised to 100% to facilitate the water condensation onto fiber surfaces for wetting observation. The ESEM observation revealed that the plasma treatment significantly altered the surface wettability of polypropylene fibers. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.