Plasma-initiated Graft Polymerization of Water-soluble Vinyl Monomers onto Hydrophobic Films and Its Application to Metal Ion Adsorbing Films

Abstract

Plasma-initiated graft polymerization of water-soluble vinyl monomers was carried out onto polyethylene, polypropylene and poly(ethylene terephthalate) films. It was found that acrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and acrylamide could be easily graft-polymerized from 0.5to 670% of the weight of dry films depending on the conditions of plasma-exposure and postpolymerization time No 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) or 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate were susceptible to graft-polymerization themselves, but successfully graft-copolymerized with acrylic acid and acrylamide. Graft films obtained showed significant decrease in contact angle of water.
It was found that PE films to which acrylic acid and acrylic acid-AMPS were graft-polymerized could adsorb such metal ions as Cu²⁺, Co²⁺ and Cr³⁺, and the amounts of adsorbed ions were determind. It was also found that the metal ions adsorbed to poly(ethylene) film could be desorbed reversibly by immersing the film in HCl solution.