Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a thermoplastic material with outstanding properties and high potential for biomedical applications, including hermetic encapsulation of active implantable devices. Different biomedical grade PEEK films with initial degree of crystallinity ranging from 8% to 32% (with or without mineral filling) were inspected. PEEK surfaces were treated with nitrogen RF plasma and the effects on materials crystallinity and self‐bonding were evaluated. In particular, the relationship between auto‐adhesive properties and crystalline content of PEEK before and after plasma treatment was examined. PEEK samples showed different bonding strength depending on their degree of crystallinity, with higher self‐bonding performance of mineral‐filled semi‐crystalline films. XRD did not show any modification of the PEEK microstructure as a result of plasma treatment, excluding a significant influence of crystallinity on the self‐bonding mechanisms. Nevertheless, plasma surface treatment successfully improved the self‐bonding strength of all the PEEK films tested, with larger increase in the case of semi‐crystalline unfilled materials. This could be interpreted to the increase in chain mobility that led to interfacial interpenetration of the amorphous phase.

中文翻译：

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氮等离子体处理对生物医学应用聚醚醚酮 (PEEK) 结晶度和自键合的影响

聚醚醚酮 (PEEK) 是一种热塑性材料，具有出色的性能和生物医学应用的巨大潜力，包括有源可植入设备的密封封装。检查了初始结晶度范围为 8% 至 32%（有或没有矿物填充）的不同生物医学级 PEEK 薄膜。用氮射频等离子体处理 PEEK 表面，并评估对材料结晶度和自粘合的影响。特别是，研究了自粘性能与等离子处理前后 PEEK 结晶含量之间的关系。PEEK样品根据结晶度的不同表现出不同的粘合强度，矿物填充的半结晶薄膜具有更高的自粘合性能。除了结晶度对自键机制的显着影响之外，XRD 没有显示出等离子处理对 PEEK 微观结构的任何改变。尽管如此，等离子表面处理成功地提高了所有测试的 PEEK 薄膜的自粘合强度，在半结晶未填充材料的情况下增加幅度更大。这可以解释为导致非晶相界面相互渗透的链移动性增加。