PHOTOLYTIC SURFACE MODIFICATION OF POLYMERS WITH UV-LASER RADIATION

Several polymers are stable towards aggressive media. This is advantageous in general, but on the other hand problems arise if such polymers are to be adhered or coated. This limits their use in certain technical applications. To improve the surface properties of polymers, mechanical, wet-chemical, or plasma treatments are applied. Most of these methods, however, are not applicable to every polymer or are limited in practical use because of the requirement of special treatment conditions. This is the reason why improvement of the existing technologies and a search for alternative methods are subjects of current research. One relatively new way to alter the surface properties of polymers is through the use of excimer lasers. In the present paper recent results are presented concerning the interaction of UV-laser radiation with polymers and resulting photolytical modification and activation of their surfaces. On the basis of such activation, a significant enhancement of the adhesive bond strength between a polymer and an adhesive (in this case epoxy resin) has been achieved.