UV curable acrylic dispersion for the cationic electro-deposition coating

Summary The vinyl group containing polymer was synthesized via radical polymerization of acrylic monomers followed by reaction with methacrylic oxyethyl isocyanate(MOI). Stable dispersions of the vinyl group containing polymer, pentaerythritol triacrylate(PETA) and photo initiator were prepared by neutralization of the above synthesized polymer with lactic acid. Electro-deposition process was introduced to apply UV-curable acrylic dispersion into the nickel-plated plastic substrate. The prepared dispersion containing PETA has higher particle size and higher deposition yield than those of the dispersion without PETA. The electro-deposited film was cross-linked by UV radiation after 10 minutes flash-off stage at 80 °C. The kinetic study by real-time FT-IR revealed that the cross-linked films containing PETA gave higher conversion than those without PETA resulting in harder film. Received: 29 June 2001 / Revised version: 2 October 2001 / Accepted: 4 October 2001     

High‐contrast,high‐sensitivity aqueous base‐developable polynorbornene dielectric

The impact of multifunctional epoxy‐based additives on the crosslinking, photolithographic properties, and adhesion properties of a tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide developable, polynorbornene (PNB)‐based dielectric was investigated. Three different multifunctional epoxy additives were investigated: di‐functional, tri‐functional, and tetra‐functional epoxy compounds. The tetra‐functional epoxy crosslinker enhanced the UV absorbing properties of the polymer at 365 nm wavelength. It was found that the epoxy photo‐catalyst could be efficiently activated without a photosensitizer when the tetra‐functional epoxy was used. The polymer mixture with additional (3 wt %) tetra‐functional epoxy crosslinker and without a UV sensitizer showed improved sensitivity by a factor of 4.7 as compared to a polymer mixture containing the same number of equivalents of non‐UV sensitive epoxy with a UV sensitizer. The contrast improved from 7.4 for the polymer mixture with non‐UV absorbing epoxy and a UV sensitizer to 33.4 for the new formulation with 3 wt % tetra‐functional epoxy and no UV sensitizer. The addition of the tetra‐functional epoxy crosslinker also improved the polymer‐to‐substrate adhesion, which permitted longer development times, and allowed the fabrication of high‐aspect‐ratio structures. Hollow‐core pillars were fabricated in 96‐µm thick polymer films with a depth‐to‐width aspect‐ratio of 14 : 1. The degree of crosslinking in the cured films was studied by nanoindentation and swelling measurements. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

UV curable polyurethane dispersions from polyisocyanate and organosilane

UV curable polyurethane dispersions (UV-PUDs) have been synthesized from hexane diisocyanate (HDI) trimer and polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMG) with different types of capping agents (2-hydroxyethylacrylate (HEA), pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA), aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APTES)) and prepolymer chain length (M_p). The PUD cast films were tack free prior to cure and UV cure provided the film with high solvent and yellowing resistances, and high surface properties together with high mechanical strength. Regarding the effect of capping agent, PETA gave greater hardness, modulus, strength, and glass transition temperature (T_g) than HEA due to the greater crosslink density of the polymer, and smaller swelling at large M_p. Swelling was governed by the hydrophilicity at large M_p, but by the crosslink density at small M_p. As APTES partially replaces HEA gel fraction and T_g decreased due to the decreased crosslink density, whereas hardness and contact angle increased due to the filler and hydrophobic nature of the silicon compound. Notably, the thermal degradation temperature of the UV-PUD has been increased by about 30–40 °C with at 3% APTES.     

Preparation and optical properties of transparent epoxy composites containing ZnO nanoparticles

Polymer nanocomposites are usually made by incorporating dried nanoparticles into polymer matrices. This way not only leads to easy aggregation of nanoparticles but also readily brings about opaqueness for nanocomposites based on functionally transparent polymers. In this letter, transparent ZnO/epoxy nanocomposites with high‐UV shielding efficiency were prepared via two simple steps: first, in situ preparation of zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)₂)/epoxy from the reaction of aqueous zinc acetate (Zn(Ac)₂·2H₂O) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at 30°C in the presence of high‐viscosity epoxy resin; second, thermal treatment of the as‐prepared Zn(OH)₂/epoxy hybrid into ZnO/epoxy composites. Optical properties of the resultant ZnO/epoxy nanocomposites were studied using an ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectrophotometer. The nanocomposites containing a very low content of ZnO nanoparticles (0.06 wt %) possessed the optimal optical properties, namely high‐visible light transparency and high‐UV light shielding efficiency. Consequently, the as‐prepared ZnO/epoxy nanocomposites are promising for use as novel packaging materials in lighting emitting diodes technology. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Chain‐extended polyurethane–acrylate ionomer for UV‐curable waterborne coatings

Conventional and chain‐extended UV‐curable waterborne polyurethane–acrylate (PUA) ionomers were prepared from diisocyanate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), dimethylolpropionic acid, and hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and identified with FTIR spectra and 500‐MHz ¹H‐NMR spectra. The number‐average molecular weight (M_n) and polydispersity of chain‐extended PUA were determined by gel permeation chromatography. For the synthesis of chain‐extended PUA, water was employed as the chain extender. The two kinds of PUA prepolymer could be easily dispersed in water in the form of self‐emulsified latex after the carboxyl group attaching to the backbone of PUA was neutralized with tertiary amine. The effects of M_n of PEG, carboxyl content, and type of diisocyanate on the interfacial tension and rheological behavior of PUA dispersions were investigated. The chain‐extended PUA prepolymer could photopolymerize to a greater extent than the conventional PUA, as indicated by differential photocalorimetry. The photopolymerization kinetics of chain‐extended PUA, based on different substrates, were also investigated. The differential scanning calorimetry analysis for the photo‐cured films from PUA dispersions suggested that lower M_n of PEG tended to favor phase mixing between soft and hard segment phases, and higher M_n of PEG would provoke phase separation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1818–1831, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10384     

Metal‐coordinated epoxy polymers with suppressed combustibility. Preparation technology,thermal degradation,and combustibility test of new epoxy‐amine polymers containing the curing agent with chelated copper(II) carbonate

The diethylenetriamine chelate complex of copper(II) carbonate—DETA‐CuCO₃ (a fire retardant hardener of epoxy resins)—and the CuCO₃‐containing epoxy‐amine polymers—DGEBA/DETA‐CuCO₃(6), DGEBA/DETA‐CuCO₃(12), DGEBA/DETA‐CuCO₃(40), and DGEBA/DETA‐CuCO₃(80) with suppressed combustibility—have been obtained in the DETA‐DGEBA‐CuCO₃ system (DETA and DGEBA are diethylenetriamine and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, respectively). The DETA‐CuCO₃ chelate complex was characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, infrared spectra, and thermal analysis. The thermal gravimetric analysis results have revealed that thermal destruction of DETA‐CuCO₃ was finished at 400°С, and the maximal temperature of the combustion gases amounted to 520°С. The thermal behavior and combustibility of the CuCO₃‐containing epoxy‐amine polymers were studied using thermal analysis and “Ceramic tube” (CT) method. Thermal gravimetric analysis confirms that incorporation of the DETA‐CuCO₃ into DGEBA appreciably heightens the thermal stability and antiflammability of the CuCO₃‐containing epoxy‐amine polymers. Results of CT measurement reveal that maximal temperature of the combustion gases under burning of the DGEBA/DETA‐CuCO₃(12) sample in comparison with unmodified epoxy‐amine polymer (DGEBA/DETA) is lowered on 219°С and the loss of weight is decreased on 20.5 wt%. According to ASTM 635‐14, ASTM D2863‐13, and ASTM D1929‐16, the flame propagation rate, limiting oxygen index, and temperatures of ignition and self‐ignition have been measured for the elaborated polymer samples.     

Influence of polymer microstructure on the performance of post‐treated latex‐based pressure sensitive adhesives

Latex‐based butyl acrylate (BA)/acrylic acid (AA)/2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) films with various microstructures were heated to improve their performance. The treated PSA films showed significantly better performance than original latex‐based PSA films with similar polymer microstructures. The effect of the heat treatment depended on the polymer microstructure of the untreated PSA films (or corresponding latices). Decreasing the amount of very small sol polymers (i.e., M_x < 2M_e) in gel‐free untreated PSA films, or both very small (i.e., M_x < 2M_e) and very large sol polymers (i.e., M_x > 20M_e) in gel‐containing untreated PSA films led to treated PSA films with significantly better performance. (Note: M_e is the molecular weight between two adjacent entanglement points in a polymer material.) In addition, simultaneously increasing the sol polymer molecular weight (M_w) as well as the size of the chain segments between two adjacent cross‐linking points (M_c) of the gel polymer in the original PSAs resulted in treated PSA films with better performance. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Electrochemical preparation of pyronin Y thin films on gold substrates

Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and AFM techniques have been employed to investigate pyronin Y thin films formed on Au(111) substrates by electrochemical oxidation of pyronin Y monomer. The medium used in the electropolymerization was an anhydrous acetonitrile solution containing 0.1M TBAClO₄ as supporting electrolyte. Anodic electropolymerization potential (1450 mV) of pyronin Y has been obtained from cyclic voltammetry data. Solid‐state electropolymerization of pyronin Y was performed by the potential‐controlled electrolysis technique. Chronoamperometry studies indicate that the adsorption of pyronin Y takes place in an instantaneous three‐dimensional nucleation and growth mechanism which is accompanied by random adsorption. UV‐vis absorption and fluorescence spectra of the electrolysis solution as a function of electrodeposition time show the adsorption of insoluble pyronin Y films on Au electrode surface. FTIR‐specular reflectance of a polymer coated Au electrode reveals that there is a possible C? C coupling in the formation of polymeric pyronin Y structure. A well ordered polymeric chain structure of pyronin Y on Au(111) has been observed from AFM data. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis and characterization of high molecular weight metaloquinolate‐containing polymers

In this article, a new method to synthesize novel metaloquinolate (AlQ₃, ZnQ₂)‐containing polymers is reported. A model polymer with 8‐hydroxyquinoline ligands can be obtained by free‐radical copolymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA), then metaloquinolate (AlQ₃, ZnQ₂)‐containing polymers are prepared by coordinating reaction with di(8‐hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (AlQ₂) chelates or mono (8‐hydroxyquinoline) zinc (ZnQ) chelates without crosslinking. The structures of products are confirmed by NMR, FTIR, ultraviolet‐visible, elementary analysis, photoluminescence spectrum, and gel permeation chromatography analysis. They are soluble in common solvents and suitable to form films. The use of AlQ₂ and ZnQ avoided the crosslinking caused by the AlQ₃, ZnQ₂ formation between different polymer chains. Different from the traditional small organic molecules in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabrication, the polymer can be processed by spin coating without phase separation. Compared to the PMMA or MMA‐co‐HEMA‐CH₂‐Hq, the T_g of the metaloquinolate‐containing polymers was much higher. It should be of interest for OLED applications. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1945–1952, 2006     

Electrostatic dissipation and flexibility of poly(oxyalkylene)amine segmented epoxy derivatives

A family of hydrophilic and flexible epoxy polymers was prepared from the reaction of poly(oxyalkylene)amines and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A (DGEBA) at 1:1 molar ratio of N H to epoxide. The use of a high molecular weight (M_W = 1000–6000) poly(oxyethylene–oxypropylene)amine and a low M_W amine as curing agents provided epoxy materials with good properties in toughness and hydrophilicity. The hydrophilicity, probed by surface resistivity of these cured materials, was found to be affected by the nature and weight content of poly(oxyethylene) segment in the polymer backbone, and also by the degree of crystallinity. Specifically, in the presence of a water‐soluble poly(oxyethylene–oxypropylene)diamine of M_W 2000 the cured epoxies can reach surface resistivity as low as 10^8.6–9.6 Ω/□. In comparison, the water‐insoluble poly(oxypropylene)diamine of M_W 2000 afforded a higher surface resistivity of 10^10.5 Ω/□ because of the difference in hydrophilicity between oxyethylene and oxypropylene functionalities. Poly(oxypropylene)diamine of M_W 230 as the sole curing agent generated an epoxy with even higher surface resistivity of 10¹³ Ω/□ due to a highly crosslinking structure. With proper selection of mixed poly(oxyethylene–oxypropylene)diamine (25 wt%) and 2‐aminoethanol (9 wt%), the DGEBA cured polymer had an appropriate surface resistivity of 10^9.8 Ω/□ for antistatics. Moreover, this material was extremely ductile in appearance and showed over 500 % elongation at break during mechanical tests. The high flexibility is rationalized by the balanced chemical structure of poly(oxyalkylene) segments and bisphenol‐A distributed in a slightly crosslinked system. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Light‐control birefringence of oriented poly(vinyl cinnamate) by UV irradiation

The research focused on realizing the birefringence of light‐control polymer films. The photoelastic birefringence exhibits when Poly (vinyl cinnamate) (PVCi) films are stretched below their glass transition temperature (T_g). The birefringence of PVCi decreases when the UV irradiation happens because the side chains of the PVCi photo‐react when the oriented films are exposed to UV light. A method to quantify the birefringence ability of the polymer films is created and verified. Using this method, the decrease of the birefringence through the UV irradiation is quantified. The result shows the birefringence of PVCi can be controlled by altering the UV irradiation time. In addition, oriented PVCi films of different esterification degrees were prepared and irradiated at different time, and the birefringence of them was studied to clarify the birefringence mechanism of light‐control polymer films. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Schiff base‐substituted polyphenol: synthesis,characterisation and non‐isothermal degradation kinetics

BACKGROUND: Polymers of phenols and aromatic amines have emerged as new materials in fields such as superconductors, coatings, laminates, photoresists and high‐temperature environments. The stability, kinetics and associated pollution of the thermal decomposition of oligophenols are of interest for the aforementioned fields. RESULTS: A new Schiff base polymer, derived from N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenylmethylidene)‐2,6‐pyridinediamine, was prepared by oxidative polycondensation. Characterisations using Fourier transform infrared, UV‐visible, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, gel permeation chromatography, cyclic voltammetry and conductivity measurements were performed. The number‐average (M_n) and weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) and dispersity (D = M_w/M_n) of the polymer were found to be 61 000 and 94 200 g mol^?1 and 1.54, respectively. Apparent activation energies of the thermal decomposition of the polymer were determined using the Tang, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Coats–Redfern methods. The most likely decomposition process was a D_n deceleration type in terms of the Coats–Redfern and master plot results. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of the degradation process can be understood through the use of kinetic parameters obtained from various non‐isothermal methods. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation and property of waterborne UV‐curable chain‐extended polyurethane surface sizing agent: Strengthening and waterproofing mechanism for cellulose fiber paper

Waterborne UV‐curable polyurethane (UWPU) dispersions with different hydrophilicity and functionalities were prepared by varying the content of dimethylol butanoic acid (DMBA) and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA). And linear and cyclic chain extenders with different functionalities were also incorporated into the UWPU backbone, including isophorone diamine (IPDA), diethylene triamine (DETA), and ethylene diamine (EDA). Effects of DMBA content, PETA content, photoinitiator content, UV curing time, chain extender on the properties of UWPU dispersions and films, as well as the properties of the unsized and sized paper were investigated. The water resistance and mechanical properties of sized paper were greatly relied on the particle size, the molecular weight, the croslinking density, and penetrability of UWPU. UWPU dispersion chain extended with IPDA (IPDA‐UWPU) displayed smaller particle size than that of UWPU. The paper sized with IPDA‐UWPU was endowed with best water resistance, tensile strength, folding strength and surface strength. XPS depth analysis revealed that IPDA‐UWPU exhibited better penetrability into the paper substrate than UWPU. SEM and AFM demonstrated that the smoothness of sized paper was improved, and the bond strength between fibers was enhanced. The obtained UWPU could be directly used as an effective and fast drying surface sizing agent for cellulose fiber paper. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42354.     

Effect of hydrophilic monomer on the surface properties of cationic polyurethane‐fluorinated acrylate hybrid dispersions

Cationic polyurethane‐fluorinated acrylate hybrid dispersions (PUFA) were prepared by the copolymerization of styrene, butyl acrylate, and 2,2,3,4,4,4‐hexafluorobutyl methacrylate in the medium of crosslinked polyurethane via phase inversion polymerization. The said polyurethane was synthesized in acetone from 2,4‐tolyene diisocyanate, N‐methyldiethanolamine, trimethylolpropane, and soft polyester diol block. The influences of hydrophilic monomer on the surface properties, immersion behaviors, particle size and, zeta potential of the dispersions were investigated. The results show that the addition of hydrophilic monomer can be advantaged to the stability of dispersions and yet will increase the surface free energy by more than 19.9%. The PUFA coating films cured at ambient conditions have the lower surface free energy (less than 0.02033 J/m²). At the same time, there is an obvious mobility of fluorinated groups in fluorinated polymer films. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Polymer gel electrolytes prepared from P(EG‐co‐PG) and their nanocomposites using organically modified montmorillonite

Polymer gel electrolytes were prepared by thermal crosslinking reaction of a series of acrylic end‐capped poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(propylene glycol) [P(EG‐co‐PG)] having various geometries and molecular weights. Acrylic end‐capped prepolymers were prepared by the esterification of low molecular weight (M_n: 1900–5000) P(EG‐co‐PG) with acrylic acid. The linear increase in the ionic conductivity of polymer gel electrolyte films was observed with increasing temperature. The increase in the conductivity was also monitored by increasing the molecular weight of precursor polymer. Nanocomposite electrolytes were prepared by the addition of 5 wt % of organically modified layered silicate (montmorillonite) into the gel polymer electrolytes. The enhancement of the ionic conductivity as well as mechanical properties was observed in the nanocomposite systems. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 894–899, 2004     

Thermal analysis and mechanical characterization of maleimide‐functionalized benzoxazine/epoxy copolymers

Maleimide‐functionalized benzoxazine is copolymerized with epoxy to improve toughness and processibility without compromising the thermal properties. The incorporation of maleimide functionality into the benzoxazine monomer results in a high performance polymer. All three possible polymerization reactions are confirmed using Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. While maleimide‐functionalized benzoxazine has a glass transition temperature, T_g, of 252°C, a further 25°C increase of T_g is observed when copolymerized with epoxy. The flexural properties are also measured, and the copolymers exhibit a flexural modulus of 4.2–5.0 GPa. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1670–1677, 2006     

New epoxy/silica‐titania hybrid materials prepared by the sol–gel process

A new type of inorganic‐polymer hybrid materials of epoxy/silica‐titania had been prepared by incorporating grafted epoxy, which had been synthesized by epoxy and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), with highly reactive TEOS and tetrabutyltitanate (TBT) by using the in situ sol–gel process. The grafted epoxy was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopic technique. Results of FT‐IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) demonstrated that epoxy chains have been covalently bonded to the surface of the SiO₂‐TiO₂ particles. The particles size of SiO₂‐TiO₂ are about 20–50 nm, as characterized by AFM. The experimental results showed that the glass‐transition temperatures and the modulus of the modified systems were higher than that of the unmodified system, and the impact strength was enhanced by two to three times compared with that of the neat epoxy. The morphological structure of impact fracture surface and the surface of the hybrid materials were observed by scanning electron microscopy and AFM, respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1075–1081, 2006     

Transparent Surfactant/Epoxy Composite Coatings with Self‐Healing and Superhydrophilic Properties

In this paper, highly transparent, robust, and superhydrophilic polyethylene glycol tert‐octylphenyl ether nonionic surfactant/epoxy (Triton X‐100/epoxy, TXE) composite coatings are successfully prepared with a facile, one‐step drop‐casting method by mixing Triton X‐100 with an epoxy resin and an amine curing agent. The hydrogen bond reaction between the hydroxyl group of Triton X‐100 and the ether group of the epoxy resin improves the compatibility and reduces the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the TXE composite coatings. The free Triton X‐100 surfactant easily accumulates on the surface of the TXE composite coatings, which improves the hydrophilicity of the TXE composite coatings. The TXE composite coatings are self‐healable because of their low T_g and the migration of Triton X‐100 small molecule surfactant. Any damage arising from denting, cutting, or wiping by tetrahydrofuran can be healed, and the composite coating can regain its superhydrophilic properties through a heating process. The TXE composite coatings demonstrate excellent acid, alkali, salt, high temperature, and ultrasonic‐resistant properties. This facile preparation technique has the potential to be applied in the scalable fabrication of multifunctional coatings in anti‐fogging, oil–water separation, and optical–electric devices.     

A facile strategy for the functionalization of poly[cyclotriphosphazene‐co‐(4,4′‐sulfonyldiphenol)] materials

Recently, a new type of phosphazene‐containing material, poly[cyclotriphosphazene‐co‐(4,4′‐sulfonyldiphenol)] (PZS), was successfully prepared. PZS materials including PZS nanotubes, PZS nanofibers and PZS microspheres show excellent thermal stability, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Moreover, PZS‐containing materials such as silver nanowire/PZS, carbon nanotube/PZS and Fe₃O₄/PZS nanotubes have also been prepared. Therefore, we explored a specific method for the functionalization of these PZS and PZS‐containing materials to expand their scope of application. As a model of various PZS and PZS‐containing materials, PZS microspheres (PZSMs) were functionalized via surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Polymerization of styrene occurred at surface sites covalently derivatized with ATRP initiators to form PZSM–polystyrene. The number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of grafted polymer chains could be well controlled. Furthermore, PZSM–polystyrene was still active for further block copolymerization of methyl methacrylate. Both styrene‐ and acrylate‐type monomers could be directly polymerized or block copolymerized from the surface of PZS and PZS‐containing materials using surface‐initiated ATRP. M_n of grafted polymer chains could be well controlled. This facile strategy could pave the way for a wider range of applications of these materials. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Towards improving wet‐adhesion in a metal oxide‐polymer coating system

An investigation using a variable radius roll adhesion test (VaRRAT) revealed an irreversible increase in the wet‐adhesion in a metal–oxide–polymer system, under specific experimental conditions. This observation is further confirmed by the T_g measurements and the ATR‐FTIR studies. The increase in wet‐adhesion is attributed to late H₂O‐catalyzed curing of the previously partially cured polymers (epoxy ring opening), as well as the formation of nanocomposite layer within the epoxy primer matrix, because of precipitation of the nanocrystals including zinc ammine complexes formed as a result of dissolution of the zinc/aluminum alloy as well as the metal oxide pigments by the amine crosslinker. High activation energy of ～100 kJ mol^?1 indicated a chemical process to be responsible for the adhesion gain. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 3318–3327, 2006