Characterization of Several Polymer Surfaces by Streaming Potential and Wetting Measurements: Some Reflections on...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Thermoplastic polymers are crucial in various technical applications.
• Understanding polymer surface properties is essential for predicting their behavior and performance.
• Existing methods for surface characterization have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize several thermoplastic polymers using contact angle and electrokinetic measurements.
• To determine and compare solid surface tensions using different calculation approaches.
• To investigate the surface chemistry and swelling behavior of polymers in water.

Main Methods:

• Contact angle measurements with various test liquids.
• Calculation of solid surface tensions using multiple theoretical approaches.
• Zeta-potential measurements to assess surface charge and swelling.
• Analysis of polymer interactions with potassium and chloride ions.

Main Results:

• All investigated polymers exhibited an acidic surface character.
• Contact angle and zeta-potential measurements showed consistent trends regarding surface acidity.
• The acid-base approach for surface tension calculation was validated for overall surface character.
• The basic surface parameter derived from the acid-base approach appeared to be overestimated.

Conclusions:

• Contact angle and zeta-potential measurements provide complementary information on polymer surface properties.
• The acid-base approach is a reliable method for assessing the overall acidic nature of polymer surfaces.
• Further refinement of the basic surface parameter calculation in the acid-base approach may be necessary.