The Role of Primary Aromatic Amines in Adhesion in Polyethylene-steel Systems

The role of primary aromatic amines (PAAs) in the promotion of adhesion between steel and coatings prepared from high density polyethylene has been investigated. PAAs were shown to interact with steel by a donor-acceptor mechanism. The increase in coating adhesion is realized through chemical and physical bond formation between an adhesive and a substrate with the help of the PAA. The free surface energy of the contact to the metal side of the coatings modified with PAA has been shown to increase in parallel with the increase in adhesion. Acid-base interactions have been found to exert primary control over polyethylene's adhesion to steel.