Patent ID: 7094451

Claim:
A method for modifying a surface of a polymer or polymer composite substrate, the improvement which comprises: (a) providing a surface of a polymer or polymer composite substrate; (b) providing a lamp for generating optical energy; (c) providing a layer of water between the surface of the substrate and the lamp; (d) providing an aqueous silane solution on the polymer or polymer composite substrate surface to be modified comprising at least one silane of the formula Si(OR′) 4-n (R″) n where n is 1, 2, or 3, R′ is an alkyl group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R″ is an organic moiety comprising a member selected from the group consisting of a metal, vinyl, cyano, amino, mercapto, halogen, aldehyde, ketone, and acid, the silane being dissolved in water, wherein a silyl group of the silane reacts with hydroxyl groups on the polymer or polymer composite surface in the presence of the optical energy; and (e) irradiating the surface with the optical energy at wavelengths between about 185 nanometers and 254 nanometers which is provided to the surface by irradiating through the layer of water to filter out any longer wavelengths in an infrared region so that the substrate does not overheat, such that the intensity of the optical energy reaching the surface is sufficient to modify the surface while the surface is exposed to the silane, so that the silyl group with the organic moiety is covalently bonded to the surface.