Surface modification of polypropylene with CF4, CF3H, CF3Cl, and CF3Br plasmas

ESCA and contact angle measurements were used to characterize the surfaces of polypropylene and glass substrates exposed to CF4, CF3H, CF3Cl, and CF3Br plasmas. The use of both organic and inorganic substrates allowed clear distinction between treatments which led to plasma polymerization and treatments which caused grafting of functional groups directly to the substrate surfaces. CF4 plasmas were the only treatments studied which fluorinated polypropylene surfaces directly, without the deposition of a thin, plasma‐polymerized film. CF3H polymerized in a plasma, while CF3Cl and CF3Br plasmas caused chlorination and bromination of polypropylene surfaces, respectively. Correlations were made between the active species present in the plasmas and the surface chemistry observed on the treated polypropylene substrates.