Influence of oxygen and argon plasma treatment on wettability and surface morphology of polypropylene microfibers

Abstract

The surface treatment of polypropylene microfibers by plasma processing in oxygen and argon was studied with the motivation to increase their cohesion with the cement matrix. By plasma treatment, it is possible to modify the surface of the microfibers mechanically, chemically or with a combination of both. The microfibers were modified using the reactive ion etching plasma system. The surface of the microfibers was modified by oxygen and argon plasma. The wettability of the microfibers was measured using the Packed Cell method. Furthermore, the weight of the microfibers before and after plasma modification was measured. Finally, the surface of the modified microfibers was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Almost all modifications of the microfiber surfaces were able to increase their wettability with water. The wettability of the oxygen plasma treated microfibers increased on average by about 11%, the wettability of the argon plasma treated microfibers increased on average by about 6% compared to the fibers without modification. The mechanical effect of plasma treatment was proven only for microfibers modified by oxygen plasma.

Developing strategies to optimize the anchorage between electrospun nanofibers and hydrogels for multi-layered plasmonic biomaterials

“…Oxygen, in particular, is a common approach to enhance interfacial adhesion in fibers, as highlighted in the literature. 39 Good adhesion is paramount in many tissue engineering applications, as the functionality of the device is mostly dependent on the stability of the interface of the tissue under tension. This highlights the importance of stable and strong anchorage in the multi-layer structures.…”