University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Dong Zhang

Larry C Wadsworth

Paul D Spence

Qin Sun

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.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Dong Zhang