Application of microwave discharges for treatment of polymer surfaces
In this paper we analyze application of a simple microwave cavity discharge on the surface modification of polymers. Electrons and radicals from the low pressure plasma as well as the metastable excited oxygen species react intensively with many engineering plastic materials leading to the increased adhesion of polymers. This is of importance to achieve better bondability by gluing, painting, varnishing, stamping, printing or metalizing. The change of the wetting contact angle is discussed with respect to the treatment time and the polymer used. The creation of reactive functional groups of the hydroxyl and carboxyl acid type on the polymer surface is mainly responsible for the better adhesion. The lifetime of the bondability of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate and polyether ketone was investigated. The surface modification of plastic materials may be performed in the vacuum chambers operated by low cost standar d microwave oven components or at a higher expense by rf generators at 13.6 MHz.
Surface modification of plastics by plasma treatment and plasma polymerization and its effect on adhesion
The Adhesion between plasma-modified polyethylene (PE) and different polar polymers, as well as aluminium and steel, has been studied. The PE was modified by either oxygen plasma treatment or plasma polymerization of acrylic acid. The result show the importance of introducing polar groups on the surface of the non-polar PE in order to improve the adhesion to polar polymers as well as metals. Laminates made of plasma-modified PE ad polyamide 6 (PA-6) or poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol) (EVAL-G) showed failure in PA-6 or EVAL-G when delaminated. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), which is not as polar as PA-6 or EVAL-G, showed an adhesive failure when the PE was treated with either of the plasma methods. However, when both the PET and the PE were modified, the failure occurred in the PET upon delamination. Oxygen plasma treatment of PE resulted in an increased adhesion when laminated with cellophane, with no observed material failure. The laminates composed of plasma-modified PE and aluminium or steel showed cohesive failure in the PE.
ROOM- AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF Sm(CobalFexCu0.088Zr0.025)7.5 (x=0.30) SINTERED MAGNETS
The effect of Fe content on room- and high-temperature magnetic properties of Sm(CobalFexCu0.088Zr0.025)7.5 (x=0-0.30) sintered magnets, prepared by the conventional powder metallurgy method, has been systematically studied. With increasing Fe content, the remanences BT and maximum energy products (BH)max at room temperature gradually increase and reach optimal values of 1.055 T with x=0.27 for BT, and 205 kJ/m3 with x=0.21 for (BH)max, respectively, and then drop sharply with further Fe increase. An excessive addition of Fe (x≥0.24) results in rapid deterioration of permanent magnetic properties due to the formation of a considerable amount of FeCo soft magnetic phase. It was found that the effect of Fe content on high temperature stability is huge. The lower the Fe content, the smaller the temperature coefficient of coercivity. When x=0.07, a temperature coefficient of coercivity of -0.14%/K (293-723 K) can be achieved, as compared with -0.23%/K for x=0.21. BT of 0.725 T, bHc of 517 kA/m, iHc of 764 kA/m, and (BH)max of 95 kJ/m3 at 723 K were obtained, and the B-H demagnetization curve remains a straight line.