Research of Adhesive Properties of Polyethylene Films Modified by an Electron Beam

Abstract: We consider the possibility of modifying the adhesive properties of polyethylene films by an electron beam in the atmosphere to produce composite materials. The modification was carried out on a wide-aperture (750 × 150 mm) low-energy (up to 200 keV) electron accelerator DUET with a grid plasma cathode based on a low-pressure arc and the output of a submillisecond beam of large cross-section into the atmosphere. By the method of studying the wetting edge angle, it was determined that the modification of polyethylene films in various radiation intervals improves adhesive properties, and the edge angle was reduced from 101° of the original to 65° of the modified ones. Infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of oxygen-containing (C=O, C–O) functional groups and an increase in the relative intensity of the absorption bands, which indicates a chemical change in the structure of the surface of the material, contributing to the improvement of adhesive properties. The method of atomic force microscopy revealed a decrease in the greatest height of profile irregularities from 125 to 40.4 nm, which contributes to an increase in the contact area of the adhesive with the surface. Experiments on modification of polyethylene films by a large-section electron beam with atmospheric discharge confirm the possibility of using installations of this type to improve adhesive properties and create composite materials based on them. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. 2023. ISSN 1062-8738, Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics, 2023, Vol. 87, Suppl. 2, pp. S189–S193. Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2023.