Super engineering plastic poly (ether ether ketone) (PEEK) has been used in a variety of high-tech fields due to its excellent properties including good mechanical strength, thermal resistance and chemical resistance. In addition, PEEK with a moderate density, being nontoxic and bioinert, is also a promising biomaterial. In this work, photo-grafting of hydrophilic monomer was used to enhance the hydrophilicity of PEEK with the aim of extending its applications to biological fields. PEEK sheets were surface modified by grafting of acrylamide (AAm) with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in presence or absence of benzophenone (BP). The effects of BP, irradiation time and monomer concentration on the surface wettability of PEEK were investigated Characterization of modified PEEK using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-disperse spectrometer (EDS) and water contact angle measurements show that AAm was successfully grafted on PEEK surface both in presence and absence of BP . With the increase in irradiation time and monomer concentration contact angles decrease to as low as 30o, demonstrating a significant improvement of surface hydrophilicity. In agreement with the decrease in contact angle, under identical conditions, the nitrogen concentration increases, suggesting the increase in grafting degree of the grafting polymerization. This investigation demonstrates a self-initiation of PEEK due to its BP-like structure in the backbone of the polymer. Though the graft polymerization proceeds more readily in the presence of BP, the self-initiated graft polymerization is clearly observed

Self-initiated photografting of hyrophilic monomer onto poly (aryl ether ketone)

247th National Meeting (2014)

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