XPS valence band analysis of plasma–treated polymers

Abstract

Abstract The valence bands (VB) of remote oxygen and remote nitrogen plasma‐treated polyethylene and polypropylene were studied to determine changes in the basic polymer structure. Each of the polymers showed a characteristic valence band profile, which retained much of its original shape after plasma treatment. This has suggested that even though plasma treatment can cause the incorporation of a high proportion of functional groups, significant segments of the original polymer structure remain unchanged within the x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) sampling depth. Angle‐resolved x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) suggests that near the outer surface, the polyethylene structure is modified by branching and cross‐linking.