Effect of Electron Irradiation on Polypropylene Films

Effects of both electron beam irradiation on the properties of polypropylene (PP) films and the irradiation on the different layers of a multilayer PP film are studied. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscope was used to investigate the chemical structure of the films. The results showed that the chemical properties of the first layer were improved, that is, more functional groups responsible for dye ability and hydrophilicity of the film were produced on its surface, while noticeable improvement was not detected on the surface of other layers. This was also confirmed by testing the dye ability of the layers. However, the results obtained by atomic force microscopy showed that the electron irradiation caused some topographical changes, not only on the surface of the first layer but also on the others. (low temperature plasma)