Process for the surface modification of semicrystalline polymers

A process for modifying the surface of a semicrystalline polymer by forming a quasi-amorphous surface which process comprises irradiating at least one surface of a semicrystalline polymer surface with one or more exposures to radiation which is absorbed by said semicrystalline polymer at said at least one surface, and controlling the intensity and fluence of said radiation exposure so that semicrystalline polymer on said surface is melted and cooled sufficiently rapidly that some long-range ordering typical of crystalline polymeric structure is maintained within the quasi-amorphous surface formed by said melting and cooling.

A process for modifying the surface of a semicrystalline polymer by forming quasi-amorphous areas thereon which process comprises irradiating at least one surface of a semicrystalline polymer composition having a crystallite orientation with radiation which is absorbed by said composition, controlling the intensity and fluence of said radiation exposure so that semicrystalline polymer on said surface is melted and there is ablation or volatilization of less than 1% by weight of the total weight of the polymer within regions of said polymer which are melted, and allowing said melted polymer to cool at a rate which will form a quasi-amorphous polymeric area on said at least one surface, said quasi-amorphous areas having a latent memory for the crystallite orientation of said semicrystalline polymer composition.