Study on antistatic modification of polyurethane elastomer surfaces by grafting with vinyl acetate and antistatic agent

Under UV light, vinyl acetate (VAc) was grafted onto polyurethane (PU) elastomer membrane, using benzoyl peroxide as photoinitiator. After surface alcoholysis reaction, hydroscopic hydroxyl formed on the surface of PU, and under catalysis of MgCl2, the antistatic agent combined with hydroxyl by chemical linkage, so that the antistatic durability of PU improved. The ATR-FTIR spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and SEM characterized the grafted copolymers and verified the occurrence of grafting copolymerization. The effect of grafting degree of VAc on the antistatic ability of PU surface was also investigated in this study. Experimental results showed that after modification the surface electric resistivity of PU elastomer reached the nearly 10(8) Omega class, with little change in spite of a washing-fastness experiment, although its mechanical ability was slightly decreased. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.