PROCESS FOR THE COVALENT SURFACE MODIFICATION OF HYDROPHOBIC POLYMERS AND ARTICLES MADE THEREFROM

摘要

The covalent modification of a hydrophobic polymer surface by a process which utilizes the functionalizable chain ends of the hydrophobic polymer is disclosed. The process of the invention is conveniently carried out under heterogeneous conditions, allowing the practitioner to take full advantage of the general processability, strength, and other desirable characteristics of a hydrophobic polymer used in the production of a manufactured article. The invention is most advantageously applied to the surface modification of microporous membranes, allowing the practitioner to choose from a vast range of possible surface macromolecular species which may be covalently bound to the membrane polymer chain ends. The process of the invention proceeds without a significant reduction in the pore dimensions or hydraulic permeability of the original unmodified membrane. This invention also discloses a four-component dope composition which exhibits surprising and useful thermal phase separation characteristics which can be exploited in a manufacturing process disclosed herein. A spinnerette assembly which greatly facilitates the efficiency and versatility of said process is also described.