Polyethylene adhesion: Pretreatment with potassium permanganate

What is it about?

Polyethylene is a widely used polymer. Its low surface energy, however, poses some difficulties when one wants to adhere something onto its surface, like for example a printed advertisement. In this work we showed that the surface of polyethylene films can be efficiently oxidized with potassium permanganate, leading to the formation of oxygenated polar groups on its surface. This chemical modification greatly increases its adhesion properties.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This work discusses the main mechanisms involved in the surface modification of hydrophobic polymers though their chemical modification with an oxidizing agent. The concepts involved can be useful for those interested in techniques for modifying the surface of polymeric materials.