Quantitative Analysis of Oxygen-Related Radical Effects on Aramid Surface Modification via Vacuum Ultraviolet Photolysis Method

Understanding the interaction mechanisms between plasma components, particularly oxygen-related radicals, and polymers is crucial for guiding industrial applications. This study employs a novel vacuum ultraviolet photolysis reactive species (VUV PRS) method to quantitatively introduce active reactants to aramid surfaces. The modified aramid samples were characterized under various treatment parameters and durations using water contact angle (WCA) measurements and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATRFTIR). Our findings reveal that the surface reaction rate is linearly correlated with the density of O/H radicals, with limited effects brought by OH, HO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf>, H<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf>O<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf>, and O<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</inf>. The reactions include the formation of OH graft structures and the cleavage of amide bonds. This research provides theoretical insights for the oxygencontaining plasma treatment of polymers.