Surface Modifications Produced by N2 and O2 RF Plasma Treatment on a Synthetic Vulcanized Styrene-Butadiene Rubber

A low-pressure gas RF plasma-treatment has been used to improve the adhesion of a synthetic vulcanized rubber to polyurethane adhesive as an environmentally friendly alternative surface treatment to the conventional chemical treatments. A sulfur vulcanized styrene-butadiene rubber (R2) containing a noticeable amount of zinc stearate and paraffin wax (both providing a lack of adhesion) in its formulation was used. Two different gases (oxygen and nitrogen) were used to generate the RF plasma, which was performed at 50 Watt for 1–15 min. The modifications produced on the R2 rubber surface by the RF plasma treatments were assessed by using advancing and receding contact angle measurements, ATR-IR spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Adhesion evaluation was obtained from T-peel tests of joints produced between plasma treated R2 rubber and a polyurethane adhesive. The plasma treatment produced a decrease in advancing and receding contact angle values on R2 rubber, irrespective to the gas used to generate the RF plasma. The treatment with RF plasma produced the partial removal of hydrocarbon moieties from the rubber surface and the generation of oxygen moieties. An increase in surface roughness was also produced. The degree of oxidation and the amount of hydrocarbon-rich layer removed from the R2 rubber surface was more important by treating with oxygen plasma. The treatment of rubber in oxygen plasma for 1 minute was enough to noticeably increase adhesion of R2 rubber to polyurethane adhesive. However, an extended treatment (15 min.) was needed when nitrogen plasma was applied to R2 rubber. The loci of failure in the joints produced between the plasma treated R2 rubber and the polyurethane adhesive was assessed by using ATR-IR spectroscopy. A mixed failure (partially adhesional and partially cohesive failure in the rubber) in the joints produced with plasma treated R2 rubber joints was always obtained.     

Surface Modification of Nitrile Rubber by Plasma Polymerization

Radio frequency plasma polymerization of vinylidene fluoride was used to modify the surface properties of nitrile rubber. The chemistry and frictional properties of the plasma films were characterized. FTIR transmission spectra and EDX analysis of plasma polymer films deposited on NaCl windows showed that the degree of fluorination of the plasma polymers increased as plasma power was increased from 25 to 50 W, and then decreased monotonically at higher powers. An estimation of the actual F/C ratio from EDX data indicated that the plasma polymer films contained approximately one fluorine atom for every 2–5 carbon atoms. Sliding friction tests on a Delrin countersurface showed that the coefficient of friction of the plasma treated rubbers was lower than untreated rubber, but slighly higher than rubber coated with silicone oil. Repetitive sliding friction testing showed that silicone oil treated samples had a longer lubricating lifetime than plasma treated samples. However, cyclic friction tests conducted with nitrile rubber o-rings yielded similar frictional behavior and lubricating lifetimes for silicone oil and plasma treatments. There was no correlation between chemical composition and the frictional and wear properties of the plasma films. Environmental scanning electron micrographs showed that the plasma films were brittle and tended to crack and flake off during wear testing.     

Migration of Processing Oils of Thermoplastic Rubber Treated with RF Plasma

The surface modifications produced by a RF plasma treatment on a thermoplastic styrene–butadiene–styrene rubber–SBS—with a considerable amount of processing oils in its formulation (TRO) have been studied and compared to the modifications produced on an oil-free SBS rubber (TRF). The modifications produced by the plasmas on the rubber surface depended on the nature of the gas used to generate the plasma. Thus, argon plasma favored the migration of processing oils to the TRO rubber surface, producing a weak oily layer that prevented interaction of rubber with a polyurethane adhesive. On the other hand, oxygen and carbon dioxide plasmas produced important ablation of the rubber surface which resulted in a partial (CO₂ plasma) or total (O₂ plasma) removal of processing oils from the rubber surface and the creation of polar moieties that increased adhesion of the rubber surface towards a polyurethane adhesive.     

表面改性对片状锌粉分散稳定性的影响

采用物理化学法,将实验室自制锌粉分别添加钛酸酯偶联剂、硅烷偶联剂和十二烷基苯磺酸钠进行表面改性,利用沉降法测试高度研究改性前后锌粉的分散稳定性。 结果表明,不同种类、不同浓度的表面改性剂对锌粉的分散稳定性有较大的影响;其中,经1.0%钛酸酯偶联剂改性后锌粉的分散稳定性有了明显的改善,与进口粉的分散稳定性接近。     

Carbon Blacks Produced by Thermal Plasma: the Influence of the Reactor Geometry on the Product Morphology

Carbon black (CB) nanopowders were obtained by plasma decomposition of methane at various flow rates using inductively coupled thermal plasma torch system of 35 kW. Nitrogen was also introduced in some experiments along with the methane. Using a cylindrical shape reactor the obtained powders were composed mainly of spherical particles, non-uniform in terms of particles size with diameters between 30 and 150 nm. The shape and size of this reactor resulted in the presence of recirculation areas enabling the formation of large CB particles and other secondary volatile compounds. Changing the reactor to a conical geometry resulted in the production of CB powders showing a crystalline and flake-like morphology made of sheets having 6–16 graphitic planes. The conical shape avoids the presence of recirculation areas and promotes the formation of a uniform powder morphology throughout the reactor.     

Converting Methane by Using an RF Plasma Reactor

A radio-frequency (RF) plasma system was used to convert methane gas. The reactants and final products were analyzed by using an FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer). The effects of plasma operational parameters, including feeding concentration (C) of CH ₄ , operational pressure (P) in the RF plasma reactor, total gas flow rate (Q) and input power wattage (W) for CH ₄ decomposition were evaluated. The results showed that the CH ₄ decomposition fraction increases with increasing power input, decreasing operational pressure in the RF plasma reactor, decreasing CH ₄ feeding concentration, and decreasing total gas flow rate. In addition, mathematical models based on the obtained experimental data were developed and tested by means of sensitivity analysis.     

Plasma Surface Modification of Biomedical Polymers: Influence on Cell-Material Interaction

Polymers are commonly used in industry because of their excellent bulk properties, such as strength and good resistance to chemicals. Their surface properties are for most application inadequate due to their low surface energy. A surface modification is often needed, and plasma surface modification is used with success the past decades. In the past few years, also plasma surface modification for biomedical polymers has been investigated. For biomedical polymers, the surface properties need to be altered to promote a good cell adhesion, growth and proliferation and to make them suitable for implants and tissue engineering scaffolds. This review gives an overview of the use of plasma surface modification of biomedical polymers and the influence on cell-material interactions. First, an introduction on cell-material interaction and on antibacterial and antifouling surfaces will be given. Also, different plasma modifying techniques used for polymer surface modification will be discussed. Then, an overview of literature on plasma surface modification of biopolymers and the resulting influence on cell-material interaction will be given. After an overview of plasma treatment for improved cell-material interaction, plasma polymerization and plasma grafting techniques will be discussed. Some more specialized applications will be also presented: the treatment of 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering and the spatial control of cell adhesion. Antibacterial and antifouling properties, obtained by plasma techniques, will be discussed. An overview of research dealing with antibacterial surfaces created by plasma techniques will be given, antifouling surfaces will be discussed, and how blood compatibility can be improved by preventing protein adhesion.     

Degradation of Methylene Blue by RF Plasma in Water

Radio frequency (RF) plasma in water was used for the degradation of methylene blue. The fraction of decomposition of methylene blue and the intensity of the spectral line from OH radical increased with RF power. RF plasma in water also produced hydrogen peroxide. The density of hydrogen peroxide increased with RF power and exposure time. When pure water (300 mL) is exposed to plasma at 310 W for 15 min, density of hydrogen peroxide reaches to 120 mg/L. Methylene blue after exposed to plasma degraded gradually for three weeks. This degradation may be due to chemical processes via hydrogen peroxide and tungsten. The comparison between the experimental and calculated spectral lines of OH radical (A–X) shows that the temperature of the radical is around 3,500 K. Electron density is evaluated to be ?3.5 × 10²⁰ m^?3 from the stark broadening of the H_β line.     

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Surface Treatment of Polymers and Influence on Cell Cultivation

Atmospheric plasma treatment is an effective and economical surface treatment technique. The main advantage of this technique is that the bulk properties of the material remain unchanged while the surface properties and biocompatibility are enhanced. Polymers are used in many biomedical applications; such as implants, because of their variable bulk properties. On the other hand, their surface properties are inadequate which demands certain surface treatments including atmospheric pressure plasma treatment. In biomedical applications, surface treatment is important to promote good cell adhesion, proliferation, and growth. This article aim is to give an overview of different atmospheric pressure plasma treatments of polymer surface, and their influence on cell-material interaction with different cell lines.     

Chemical Surface Modifications of Titanium Implants

Summary: In the present work, various surface modifications have been applied to titanium surface. The aim of the modifications was to improve cell adhesion and to determine their influence on the properties of titanium surface. The unmodified and modified surfaces were observed using SEM. Subtle changes in modified surface layer of titanium samples were examined using the Auger Electron Microanalysis and Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The properties of surfaces were evaluated by contact angle and roughness measurements. The results revealed large differences in morphology of Ti modified with different procedures whereas only minor differences in the chemistry of the surfaces were detected. Preliminary quantitative measurements (cell number, viability and differentiation) of the MG 63 osteoblast-like cells in the direct contact with the surface of the investigated materials show that both the not pre-treated titanium surface and the surfaces modified by the methods used in the this work are all well tolerated by the living cells. Within the experimental scatter all the surfaces provided good substrate for proliferation and growth of the cells.     

利用等离子体技术研究聚苯乙烯表面的接枝聚合反应

用O₂等离子体对聚苯乙烯(PS)进行预处理, 再用Ar等离子体引发N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮(NVP)在其表面接枝聚合. 通过接触角(CA)及表面自由能(SE)分析, 探讨了O₂等离子体预处理条件对PS表面自由能的影响, 确定了预处理的最佳条件. 通过衰减全反射红外光谱(ATR-FTIR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和动态接触角(DCA)分析, 比较了O₂等离子体预处理前后和接枝聚合前后PS的表面组成及表面性能, 实验结果表明, 利用等离子体技术能成功地将NVP接枝聚合于PS表面, 接枝聚合后的PS表面由于极性高分子链和粗糙度的增加, 亲水性增强, 水滴易在其表面铺展. 由于接枝聚合后PS表面的高分子链在水中发生重构, 使后退角降低幅度较大, 接触角滞后现象明显.     

Surface Modification of Silicone Rubber by CF<Subscript>4</Subscript> Radio Frequency Plasma Immersion

Silicone rubber samples were treated by CF₄ capacitively coupled plasma at radio frequency (RF) power of 60, 100 and 200 W for a treatment time up to 20 min under CF₄ flow rate of 20 sccm, respectively. Static contact angle, ATR-FTIR and XPS, and AFM were employed to characterize the changes of surface on hydrophobicity, functional groups, and topography. The results indicate the static contact angle is improved from 100.7 to 150.2°, and the super-hydrophobic surface, which corresponds to a static contact angle of 150.2°, appears at RF power of 200 W for a 5 min treatment time. It is suggested that the formation of super-hydrophobic surface is ascribed to the co-action of the increase of surface roughness created by the ablation reaction of CF₄ plasma and the formation of [–SiF _x (CH₃)_2−x –O–] _n (x = 1, 2) structure produced by the direct attachment of F atoms to Si.     

Influence of O2 Plasma on Surface Properties of PC-TiO2 Nanocomposite Film

In this work, polycarbonate-TiO₂ nanocomposite films were prepared with different percentages. The aim was to consider the effect of O₂ LF plasma (50 Hz) on the hydrophilicity, surface energy, and surface morphology of polycarbonate and polycarbonate-TiO₂ nanocomposite. Structure of samples was determined by using X-ray diffraction analysis. In comparison with the reference sample, the samples’ structure did not change after plasma treatment. Surface properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate-TiO₂ nanocomposite films were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Vickers microhardness tester. XPS analysis showed that the surface of samples became more oxidized due to plasma treatment. The water contact angle significantly decreased from 88° to 15° after plasma treatment. It was observed that the hardness of the nanocomposite films was not modified after plasma treatment.     

微波等离子体对聚乙烯材料的表面改性

对高分子材料进行表面修饰,可以赋予材料表面新的物理和化学性能,提高材料的亲水性、粘结性、电镀和生物匹配性等．在表面改性方法中,新近发展的等离子体改性技术由于具有操作简单,工艺干法化,不影响材料本体结构和性能等优点而日益受到人们的重视［１,２］．微波等...     

聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯的等离子体表面改性研究

阐述了等离子体原理,综述了等离子体对聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯表面改性的研究工作,大量的实验数据表明了这种方法可以成功改善各种性能。等离子体处理后PET材料表面粗糙度增加,并产生化学基团,因此可改善以下各种性能:润湿性、粘接性、染色性、抗静电性,对人体的生物相容性,添加TiO2的杀菌性,PET表面化学镀金属的性能。PET表面的刻蚀作用,导致其重量的减轻,可替代部分碱减量处理。     

聚四氟乙烯表面的等离子体处理

聚烯烃类聚合物粘结与印染性能均较差,以往都是用氧化剂法改善其表面性能,近年来采用等离子体表面处理的方法,不仅能改变表面的润湿性,而且无污染、效率高,完全有可能取代传统的表面处理方法。 本文报道我们在自制的装置上,用空气等离子体,对     

碳纳米管激光等离子体的质谱研究

The time-of-flight mass spectra of carbon nanotube plasma produced by laser was first investigated in this paper. We found the hemi-spherical tips of carbon nanotube were easily fragmentated and aggregated into fullerenes between Coo arid C_(174) in high laser fluence.     

Study of PET Surfaces After Laser or Plasma Treatment: Surface Modifications and Adhesion Properties Towards Al Deposition

The modifications induced on poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) by an excimer laser radiation or a low pressure plasma as well as their ability to improve Al–PET adhesion were investigated. For this purpose, surface roughness, chemical composition, surface wettability, and adhesion properties of PET were studied depending on the process parameters. Both treatments can significantly enhance the adhesion but the surface change responsible for the improvement was different for each pretreatment.     

表面等离子体子共振生物传感器用于乙肝表面抗原的测定

运用自行研制的表面等离子体子共振（SPR）生物传感器,采用自组装成膜技 术并以戊二醛作偶联剂,在传感片表面修饰HBsAg单克隆抗体,将其用于乙肝表面 抗原（HBsAg)的检测。实验结果表明SPR生物传感器对HBsAg的检出限为0.06ng/mL 。与传统的酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）相比,SPR生物传感器的检出灵敏度明显高 于ELISA法。用该SPR生物传感器对HBsAg质控血清与纯化的HBsAg溶液进行比较检测 ,结果表明该SPR生物传感器对HBsAg具有好的特异选择性。