Study of polypropylene surface modification by air dielectric barrier discharge operated at two different frequencies

AbstractIn this work, air dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) operating at the line frequency (60Hz) or at frequency of 17kHz was used to improve the wetting properties of polypropylene (PP). The changes in the surface hydrophilicity were investigated by contact angle measurements. The plasma-induced chemical modifications of PP surface were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The polymer surface morphology and roughness before and after the DBD treatment were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). To compare the plasma treatment effect at different frequencies the variation of the contact angle is presented as a function of the deposited energy density. The results show that both DBD treatments leaded to formation of water-soluble low molecular weight oxidized material (LMWOM), which agglomerated into small mounts on the surface producing a complex globular structure. However, the 60Hz DBD process produced higher amount of LMWOM on the PP surface comparing to the 17kHz plasma treatment with the same energy dose. The hydrophilic LMWOM is weakly bounded to the surface and can be easily removed by polar solvents. After washing the DBD-treated samples in de-ionized water their surface roughness and oxygen content were reduced and the PP partially recovered its original wetting characteristics. This suggested that oxidation also occurred at deeper and more permanent levels of the PP samples. Comparing both DBD processes the 17kHz treatment was found to be more efficient in introducing oxygen moieties on the surface and also in improving the PP wetting properties

Sistema de baixo custo para nucleação de pré-trincas por fadiga em corpos de prova de tenacidade à fratura

Fracture toughness testing becomes a very important parameter for mechanical design and maintenance of parts and structures. This work presents the design and construction of a machine device to perform the pre-crack nucleation on SE(B) specimens for fracture toughness testing. Employing this device, it is possible to test materials for K Ic, CTOD and J Ic in a conventional tensile test equipment, assisted by a data acquisition system. The device is based on the concept of loading from an eccentric mechanism, controlling the displacement by means of a marking ring. The main contribution of this work is the low cost technology offered for laboratories, without high priced servo-hydraulic testing machines, giving them autonomy for the execution of fracture toughness tests. The experimental results satisfied the expectation about crack nucleation on SE(B) and applied loading control

Sistema de baixo custo para nucleação de pré-trincas por fadiga em corpos de prova de tenacidade à fratura

Fracture toughness testing becomes a very important parameter for mechanical design and maintenance of parts and structures. This work presents the design and construction of a machine device to perform the pre-crack nucleation on SE(B) specimens for fracture toughness testing. Employing this device, it is possible to test materials for K Ic, CTOD and J Ic in a conventional tensile test equipment, assisted by a data acquisition system. The device is based on the concept of loading from an eccentric mechanism, controlling the displacement by means of a marking ring. The main contribution of this work is the low cost technology offered for laboratories, without high priced servo-hydraulic testing machines, giving them autonomy for the execution of fracture toughness tests. The experimental results satisfied the expectation about crack nucleation on SE(B) and applied loading control