Surface Free Energy Change of UV Exposed Composites and Coatings via Acid-Base Interactions

Surface free energy of composite and coatings are critically important for the performance of the materials since the change in surface free energies can drastically affect the physical, chemical and physicochemical properties, and hence the service life of them. The characterization of the surface free energy is the key issue to understand the mechanisms of the surface degradation. Acid-base interaction is one way of determining the surface free energy change on these surfaces. In the present study, we exposed composite and coating surfaces to UV light, and then measured the contact angle values using various liquids (e.g., DI water, diiodomethane and glycerol). Using the van Oss approach, we calculated the surface energy changes of the surfaces exposed to the UV light. We found that the surface energy, acidity and basicity of the composite and coating materials were drastically changed as a function of UV exposure time. This study can be useful for the moisture uptake of composites, composite degradation, aging and service life of these products.