Characterization of fluorinated polyethylene surfaces

Polyethylene foils, used as greenhouse foils stabilized with various types of sterically hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS), showed an extraordinary prolonged lifetime on exposure to natural or artificial weathering if a gas-phase fluorination under low-pressure conditions was applied. The fluorination was performed using F2/N2 mixtures and provided ca. 50 F/100 C (fluorination degree ≈25%). The lifetimes of fluorinated PE foils on exposure to artificial or natural weathering were increased at least by a factor of 2-4 as measured in terms of tensile strength and elongation at break.