Process for modifying surfaces of materials, and materials having surfaces modified thereby

• US 5,965,629 A
• Filed: 04/11/1997
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Choi, Won Kook, Han, Kyong Sop, Koh, Seok Keun, Jung, Hyung Jin, Gam, Sik Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman, Susan W.
• Application Number:
  US08/835,645
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 522/2, 522/163, 522/153, 522/164, 522/162, 522/154, 522/161, 522/148, 522/1, 522/3, 204/192.34, 204/192.36, 204/192.37, 204/157.15, 156/272.2
• US Class Current: 522/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0872 using ion-radiation, e.g. alpha-rays
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/006 Using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/16 by wave energy or particle radiation , e.g. infrared heating B29C59/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/23 Oxides C03C17/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/211 SnO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/215 In2O3
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/23 Mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/32 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0055 by ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/006 by plasma or corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/10 based on aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/48 based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, zircon or hafnates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/0027 Ion-implantation, ion-irradiation or ion-injection
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/0072 Heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/53 involving the removal of at least part of the materials of the treated article, e.g. etching, drying of hardened concrete C04B41/0036 - C04B41/0054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/80 of only ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/12 Chemical modification

Abstract

A process for modifying the surfaces of a polymer, ceramic, ITO or glass by irradiating energized ion particles onto the surfaces of the polymer, ceramic, ITO or glass, while blowing a reactive gas directly over the surface of the polymer, ceramic, ITO or glass under a vacuum condition, to decrease the wetting angle of the surface. The process can be widely used in the fields of polymers because it provides effects of increasing the spreading of aqueous dyestuffs, increasing adhesive strength with other materials and inhibition of light scattering by decreasing the wetting angle of the material surface.

Claims

1. A process for modifying the surface of a polymer, comprising:

irradiating ion beam particles onto the surface of the polymer while directing a reactive gas onto the polymer surface under a vacuum condition.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the reactive gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide and mixtures thereof.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the reactive gas is directed onto the polymer surface at a rate of 1-8 ml/min.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyimide, Teflon, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and silicon rubber.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the ion beam particles are selected from the group consisting of argon, oxygen, air, krypton and any mixtures thereof.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the energy of the ion beam particles is 0.5 keV-2.5 keV.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the irradiation amount of the ion beam particles is 10¹⁴ to 5×

10¹⁷ ions/cm².

8. The process of claim 1, wherein an ion gun is used to irradiate the ion beam particles onto the surface of the polymer and wherein the distance between the ion gun and the polymer surface is determined depending on the degree of vacuum when the ion beam particles are irradiated on the polymer surface, the distance being 25-55 cm under a high vacuum degree of 5×

10³ -1×

20^-6 torr, 55 cm or more under an ultra high vacuum degree of 10⁶ torr or more, and 25 cm or less under a low vacuum degree of 5×

10^-3 torr or less.

9. A polymer material, wherein a wetting angle of the polymer surface is decreased or an adhesive strength thereof is increased, by irradiating ion beam particles onto the polymer surface while directing a reactive gas onto the polymer surface under a vacuum condition.