Inventors:
Dong Zhang - Knoxville TN
Paul D. Spence - Greenville SC
Qin Sun - Knoxville TN
Larry C. Wadsworth - Knoxville TN
Assignee:
The University of Tennessee Research Corporation - Knoxville TN
International Classification:
D02G 300
US Classification:
525344, 204165, 427535, 428373
Abstract:
Hydrophobic polymer materials having improved dyeability with water-based dyes are prepared by treating a hydrophobic polymer with aglow discharge plasma generated from working gases selected from SO , O , N , He, H , CO , CF , NO, N O, 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate (HPMA), air or combinations thereof, in which a treated material comprises a hydrophobic inner core and a hydrophilic outer sheath having polar functional groups. A method of treating hydrophobic polymer materials using a glow discharge plasma, preferably at high pressure (e. g. , about 50 Torr or greater), thereby modifying the active surface characteristics of the polymer to contain polar functional groups is also presented.