Anti-fouling Properties of PBT Decorative Steel Plates Grafted with Polymer Brushes

Abstract

Material surface properties are drastically modified by grafting polymer brushes. Surface initiated polymerizations allow fabrication of polymer brushes attached to the material surfaces by covalent bond. A cationic polyelectrolyte brush, poly［2（- methacryloyloxy） ethyltrimethylammonium chloride］（ PMTAC）, was grafted on the poly（butylene terephthalate） laminate film on a steel plate through surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization（ SI-ATRP） and/or surface-initiated photo radical polymerization（ SI-PRP） methods. Both methods were valid to produce PMTAC brushes on the PBT surface. Meanwhile, the SI-PRP method was superior to the SI-ATRP from the practical view point of reduced process and short polymerization time. The hydrophobic PBT surfaces got hydrophilic through the PMTAC brush grafting. The PBT surfaces modified with PMTAC brushes showed excellent anti-fouling capability to various foulants that are required for bath wall application. The foulants were removed completely from the surfaces by washing with water. The anti-fouling properties were well retained after 10,000 cycle scratch processing with nylon scrub.