Localization of Nanofibers on Polymer Surface Using Interface Transfer Technique

A new method to localize polymer nanofibers on a polymer surface was verified using interface transfer technique of nanofibers between immiscible polymer pairs. Nanofibers of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) were prepared in a molten polypropylene (PP) by melt stretching and subsequent quenching. The obtained composite of PP containing PBT nanofibers was compressed into a flat sheet and piled with a sheet of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). During annealing procedure of the piled sheets at the temperature between Tm’s of PP and PBT, PBT nanofibers were transferred from PP to HDPE. Consequently, PBT fibers was confirmed on the surface of HDPE. Similarly, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanofibers dispersed in a molten PLA, which were obtained by mechanical blending process, were found to move to PP during annealing procedure at the temperature between Tm’s of PLA and PTFE. This movement leads to the modification of surface tension for PP. Furthermore, the piled sheets of PP/PBT and HDPE as well as those of PLA/PTFE and PP were easily separated each other because of the immiscible nature