Comparative Analysis of Low-Density and High-Density Polyethylene: Insights from ATR-FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy, and Surface Modification Techniques

This study investigates structural and optical modifications in polyethylene polymers—Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)—induced by argon ion (Ar⁺) implantation. Polyethylene is widely used in industrial, packaging, and electronic applications due to its chemical stability, mechanical strength, and insulating properties, but its characteristics can be modified through ion implantation, which introduces controlled defects and structural transformations.Square polymer samples (approximately 1.5 × 1.5 cm²) were cut from 1000 µm thick LDPE and HDPE sheets obtained from Goodfellow Cambridge Ltd. (Huntingdon, England). After careful cleaning and preparation, the samples were subjected to argon ion implantation at energies of 60 keV, 130 keV, and 200 keV, with ion fluence ranging from 1×10¹⁴ to higher levels.The study analyzes how implantation energy and fluence influence the microstructural, chemical, and optical properties of LDPE and HDPE.