Bicomponent Composites

Abstract

Corona treatment of various substrates in nitrogen was found to markedly improve the adhesion between the substrate and polymeric coatings which were subsequently applied by in situ polymerization of the appropriate monomers. Sub strates included films, fibers, and fabrics of polymers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyelhylene terephthalate, polytetrafluoroethylene, and Saran. Condensation polymers employed as coatings included polyamides, polyesters, poly- sulfonamides, and poiyureas. Other polymer coatings were also applied by anionic and cationic polymerization. Com posites prepared after corona treatment of the substrate were shown to have superior interfacial adhesion and abrasion and solvent resistance, compared with composites which had been prepared without corona treatment. Electron micro copy was used to demonstiate the difference between differently treated samples of films and fabrics. The good interfacial adhesion exhibited by coatings on corona-treated films, even after extensive elongation of the composites, indicated the possibility of preparing bicomponent fibers from coated substrates which fibrillate on drawing.