Polymeric substrate properties tailored by irradiation

Roll-to-roll processes are well-known for its high throughput, low cost, high quality and high yield potentials. They are commonly used if flexible substrates like paper, metal foils or polymer films have to be processed. Focusing on the latter, it is common to tailor their surface properties to certain needs. Therefore, technologies like chemical (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes are used. Such processing is very often combined with stress like thermal load or mechanical strain. This stress is limiting the productivity due to physical limitations of the material itself, like low thermal stability or very small elastic modulus and especially in its combination. The treatment of such polymers by electron beam at atmospheric pressure may alter the mentioned properties. Respective investigations of polyester, polyethylene and different kinds of bio-based polymers with respect to elastic modulus, puncture resistance and thermal stability will be shown.