Surface modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fiber by excimer light

Abstract

Changes in the surface topography and chemical structure on the surfaces of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers and films caused by the irradiation using an excimer laser beam and excimer lamp light were monitored. The SEM (scanning electron microscopy) observation suggests that a wavy shape was produced by irradiation with the excimer laser beam, while such a wavy shape was not observed when the excimer lamp light was used. The XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analysis of the fiber surface suggests that the O/C intensity ratio was reduced by irradiation using the laser beam, whereas this ratio gradually increased with irradiation with the lamp light. This difference is attributed to the difference in the number of photons in the laser beam, which was much higher than that in the lamp light, although the laser beam and lamp light had the same wavelength and energy. As for wettability to water, the contact angle was smallest for PET irradiated by the excimer lamp light. For adhesion studies, th...