SELECTION OF PROTECTIVE COATINGS OBTAINED BY PLASMA-SPRAYING METHOD FOR FOUNDRY INDUSTRY

This article presents results from the studies of protective coatings applied to industrial graphite molds used for the casting of non-ferrous metals. The selection of coatings was based on the results of measurements of surface wettability by liquid copper and microstructure examinations. The study involved industrial graphite molds with single-layer protective coatings of Al2O3 + 30%C and ZrO2-Y2O3 + 30%C as well as two-layer protective coatings of Al2O3 + 30%C /glassy carbon and ZrO2-Y2O3 + 30%C /glassy carbon

Microfiltration Membranes Modified with Composition of Titanium Oxide and Silver Oxide by Magnetron Sputtering

In this work, the authors present the possibility of modification of polymer membranes by TiO2 + AgO coating created by the magnetron sputtering method. The two-component TiO2 + AgO coating can improve and shape new functional properties such as bactericidal and photocatalytic properties. The influence of magnetron power changes on the structure of the membrane was investigated as well. The structure and elemental composition of TiO2 + AgO coatings were analyzed using SEM and EDS technique. All deposited coatings caused a total inhibition of the growth of two investigated colonies of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis on the surface. The photocatalytic properties for membranes covered with oxide coatings were tested under UV irradiation and visible light. The filtration result show that polymer membranes covered with two-component TiO2 + AgO coatings have a permeate flux similar to the non-coated membranes

Evaluation of the Fracture Toughness K_Ic for Selected Magnetron Sputtering Coatings by Using the Laugier Model

Nanoindentation is one of the methods that allows for determining the fracture properties of brittle materials. In this article, the authors present the possibility of the fracture toughness coefficient calculation of ceramic-based coatings doped by metal (W, Cr) by using the nanoindentation method with the Berkovich diamond indenter. The mechanical properties of selected coatings, such as hardness and Young’s modulus, were investigated from nanohardness experiments. We analyzed the brittle fracture, which includes changes in hardness (H), Young’s modulus (E), plasticity index H/E and resistance to plastic deformation H3/E2, enabled the concentration of tungsten and chromium. Due to the size of the indentation and the size of the initial cracks, it is necessary to use Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to observe and measure the indentations made and the generated cracks. For evaluation of the fracture toughness in mode I, the Laugier model was chosen experimentally. The fracture toughness analysis showed that doping with concentrations of 10% W and 10% Cr causes an increase in the fracture toughness for KIc = 4.98 for TiBW (10%) and KIc = 6.23 for TiBCr (10%)

The Analysis of Resistance to Brittle Cracking of Tungsten Doped TiB2 Coatings Obtained by Magnetron Sputtering

In this work, the authors present the possibility of characterization of the fracture toughness in mode I (KIC) for TiB2 and TiB2 coatings doped with different concentration of W (3%, 6% and 10%). The Young’s modulus, hardness and fracture toughness of this coatings are extracted from nanoindentation experiments. The fracture toughness was evaluated using calculation of crack length measurement. An important observation is that increasing tungsten concentration in the range 0–10% changes the microstructure of the investigated coatings: from columnar structure for TiB2 coating to nano-composite structure for Ti-B-W (10%) coating. It can be concluded that doping with concentration 10 at.% W causes an increase of the fracture toughness for the tested coatings

Influence of Deposition Parameters of TiO2 + CuO Coating on the Membranes Surface Used in the Filtration Process of Dairy Wastewater on Their Functional Properties

A novel approach of the deposition of two-component coating consisting of TiO2 and CuO on polymer membranes by MS-PVD method was presented in this work. This confirmed the possibility of using thin functional coatings for the modification of polymer membranes. The influence of technological parameters of the coating deposition on the membrane’s structure, chemical composition and functional properties (hydrophilic, photocatalytic and bactericidal properties) were analyzed using SEM. Model microorganism such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis have been used to check the antibacterial properties. The results indicated that doping with CuO highlights the potential of bactericidal efficiency. The surface properties of the membranes were evaluated with the surface free energy. For evaluating photocatalytic properties, the UV and visible light were used. The filtration tests showed that polymer membranes treated with two-component TiO2 + CuO coatings have a permeate flux similar to the reference material (non-coated membrane). The obtained results constitute a very promising perspective of the potential application of magnetron sputtering for deposition of TiO2 + CuO coatings in the prevention of biofouling resulted from the membrane filtration of dairy wastewater

Plazmowa depozycja antybakteryjnych powłok srebra i miedzi na powierzchni polipropylenu

This paper addresses the issue of plasma treatment of the surface of polypropylene (PP) using sputtering of silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) and their oxides with MS-PVD in order to impart antimicrobial activity. It was found that plasma treatment of PP with Cu and Ag based layers allows to provide excellent antimicrobial properties due to a constant release of metal ions. The samples of PP treated with Cu and CuO were characterized by highest antimicrobial properties and stability of the coatings. The most stable and least effective coating against bacteria was Ag-PP sample. In turn, AgO-PP was characterized by the lowest stability in aqueous conditions and strong antimicrobial activity. It was found that leaching of metal ions from the surface of treated PP even in exceptional levels plays a crucial role in bactericidal activity.Niniejsza praca dotyczy plazmowej obróbki powierzchni polipropylenu (PP) przy użyciu miedzi (Cu) i srebra (Ag) oraz ich tlenków. Powłoki Cu, CuO, Agi AgO, wytworzone na powierzchni PP metodą rozpylania magnetronowego MS-PVD, zbadano pod względem morfologii, składu, stabilności i właściwości antybakteryjnych. Materiały powierzchniowo zmodyfikowane przy użyciu Cu i CuO charakteryzowały się najsilniejszymi właściwościami przeciwbakteryjnymi i najmniejszą stabilnością i trwałością w środowisku wodnym. Powłoka AgO wykazywała najmniejszą stabilność w warunkach wodnych i silną aktywność przeciwbakteryjną, natomiast powłoka Ag wykazywała największą stabilność, a zarazem najsłabsze działanie przeciwbakteryjne. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują, że uwalniane z naniesionych powłok jony, nawet w niewielkim stężeniu, wykazują silne działanie antybakteryjne

Microfiltration Membranes Modified with Silver Oxide by Plasma Treatment

Microfiltration (MF) membranes have been widely used for the separation and concentration of various components in food processing, biotechnology and wastewater treatment. The deposition of components from the feed solution and accumulation of bacteria on the surface and in the membrane matrix greatly reduce the effectiveness of MF. This is due to a decrease in the separation efficiency of the membrane, which contributes to a significant increase in operating costs and the cost of exploitative parts. In recent years, significant interest has arisen in the field of membrane modifications to make their surfaces resistant to the deposition of components from the feed solution and the accumulation of bacteria. The aim of this work was to develop appropriate process parameters for the plasma surface deposition of silver oxide (AgO) on MF polyamide membranes, which enables the fabrication of filtration materials with high permeability and antibacterial properties