The effect of molecular mass of poly(sulfones) on their adhesion to fibers

The adhesion of poly(sulfones) with different molecular masses (in the range from 27 x 10(3) to 54 x 10(3)) to a high-strength steel wire 150 mum in diameter and glass fibers 200-300 mum in diameter was studied. The molecular mass of poly(sulfones) was controlled during the synthesis and was varied from 27 x 10(3) to 54 x 10(3). For every polymer under examination, the optimum conditions of joint formation providing the maximum interface strength tau(max) were found. It was shown that the values of tau(max) increase with increasing the molecular mass of the polymer. It was suggested that this effect is related to changes in the structure of near-surface layers of the polymer with an increase in molecular mass.