Modification of polymer surfaces
Study and analysis of the surfaces of the solid polymers Physicochemical properties

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.