4. Modification of polymer surfaces

To modify the surface properties of polymers, it is sometimes necessary to treat them. Polymer surface treatments can be classified into two main groups:

• chemical modifications: the polymer is placed in a reactive species (liquid or gas);

• physical modifications: the surface is irradiated by a high-energy medium.

A third group, just touched on here, includes modifications to bulk properties (crystallinity, composition) often used in the design of polymer blends.

The different methods are presented in the following box.