Modification of catheter materials by coating with polymer layers containing silver

The surface of polyurethane based catheter material or of silicon wafers as model surfaces were modified by spin coating of solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(vinyl alcohol) in water. For the incorporation of silver ions, silver nitrate was added to some of the solutions or the as-cast surfaces were dipped into AgNO₃ solution. Furthermore, samples coated with a thin layer of metallic silver were prepared by deposition of silver vapor in vacuum. The as-prepared surfaces were studied by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. During the spin coating of the solutions containing AgNO₃, clusters of the silver component were formed. They were well dispersed in a poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix but act as nucleation agents in poly(ethylene oxide) where then large spherulites are formed. The surface compositions of coated samples and the depth profiling were carried out by angle dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

Interfaces in polymer matrix composites from micromechanical tests to macromechanical properties

The properties of a composite material are gouverned by the fibre, the matrix and the interface properties. However, in a test, used to determine a composite property, the influence of the interface is often muffled by other influences (fibre volume fraction, inhomogeneity, voids, defects,). To understand the relation between the composite performance and the fibre-matrix interface properties, it is necessary to work in several steps. In a first step, a thorough understanding of the fibre-matrix interface behaviour is needed. This not only involves the determination of the interface properties using micromechanical test methods, but also the fundamental study of the stresses at the interface and of the failure events occuring during the test. In this paper, the fragmentation, the pull-out and the micro-indentation test will be elaborated. The former test is used to explain the importance of an accurate data reduction model. In a second step, the influence of these interface properties on the composite performance is investigated. It is well known that an improved interface quality is beneficial for the transverse tensile and the interlaminar shear strength. However, a strong fibre-matrix interface is not favourable for all composite properties. This is illustrated by an overview of micromechanical models, developed to understand the macromechanical behaviour of composites. Three properties are addressed: the longitudinal tensile strength, the interlaminar fracture toughness, and the damage development in cross-ply laminates.