The Role of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Atmosphere and Physics on Polypropylene Surface Treatment

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is the discharge involved in corona treatment, widely used in industry to increase the wettability or the adhesion of polymer films or fibers. Usually DBD's are filamentary discharges but recently a homogeneous glow DBD has been obtained. The aim of this paper is to compare polypropylene surface transformations realized with filamentary and glow DBD in different atmospheres (He, N₂, N₂ + O₂ mixtures) and to determine the relative influence of both the discharge regime and the gas nature, on the polypropylene surface transformations. From wettability and XPS results it is shown that the discharge regime can have a significant effect on the surface transformations, because it changes both the ratio of electrons to gas metastables, and the space distribution of the plasma active species. This last parameter is important at atmospheric pressure because the mean free paths are short (m). These two points explain why in He, polypropylene wettability increase is greater by a glow DBD than by a filamentary DBD. In N₂, no significant effect of the discharge regime is observed because electrons and metastables lead to the same active species throughout the gas bulk. The specificity of a DBD in N₂ atmosphere compared to an atmosphere containing oxygen is that it allows very extensive surface transformations and a greater increase of the polypropylene surface wettability. Indeed, even in low concentration and independently of the discharge regime, when O₂ is present in the plasma gas, it controls the surface chemistry and degradation occurs.     

Synthesis and dielectric analysis of aliphatic poly(carbonate-sulfone)s based on 1,4-bis(3-hydroxypropylsulfonyl) butane

High molecular weight aliphatic poly(carbonate-sulfone) homopolymer (PC-343) and random copolymer (PC-343-10) were synthesized from 1,4-bis(3-hydroxypropylsulfonyl)butane (Diol-343) and a 1/1 molar mixture of Diol-343 and 1,10-decanediol, respectively. As a comparison, an aliphatic polycarbonate homopolymer (PC-10) was prepared from 1,10-decanediol. While PC-10 exhibited a single melting peak during its DSC heating scan, both PC-343 and PC-343-10 exhibited multiple reproducible first-order transitions during DSC heating scans. Both PC-343 and PC-343-10 showed broad reflections in their WAXD diagrams; the crystalline order of PC-343 is higher than that of PC-343-10. Based on the DSC and WAXD results and our discovery on the liquid crystalline behavior of aliphatic poly(carbonate-sulfone)s from 1,3-bis(hydroxypropylsulfonyl)propane, we suggest PC-343 and PC-343-10 are liquid crystalline and the liquid crystalline phase formation is directed by the dipole–dipole interactions between sulfone groups. Films were obtained from these polymers by compression molding and dielectric analyses were conducted on them. One glass transition related dielectric relaxation was observed in PC-343-10. One glass transition related dielectric relaxation and one sub-glass transition related dielectric relaxation were observed in PC-343. The glass transition temperature increases with the increase of sulfone content in the polymers. A dramatic rise in dielectric constant with temperature was observed in PC-343 and PC-343-10 at low frequencies, which is probably due to the sulfone dipole interaction with the electrical field. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Nd2O3掺杂(BaSr)TiO3对陶瓷结构和性能的影响

采用常规固相反应法,以Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 10%MgO(BSTO)体系为基体成分,研究了Nd2O3掺杂对其显微组织结构和介电性能的影响规律,结果表明掺杂Nd2O3后,抑制了BSTO晶粒的生长;随着Nd2O3掺杂量的增加,陶瓷的晶粒尺寸变小,密度增大,材料的居里温度向负温度方向移动,并且展宽了介电峰,使材料的温度稳定性提高,此外,随着Nd2O3掺杂量的增加,材料的可调性减小,介电常数减小。     

Preparation, structure and properties of porous polyimide films via PAA/PU alloy

A new route to porous polyimide (PI) films with pore sizes in the nanometer regime was developed. A polyamic acid (PAA)/polyurethane (PU) blend with PU as the disperse phase was first prepared via in situ polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4-oxydianiline in PU solutions. Porous PI films were obtained from PAA/PU films by thermolysis of PU at 360°C and imidization of PAA at 300°C, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis were used to detect the imidization and thermolysis processes of PAA/PU blends under thermal treatment. The microporous structure of the PI films was observed by transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the size and content of pores increased with an increase in the PU mass fraction in the PAA/PU blend up to 20%. Because of the existence of nanopores, the dielectric constant of PI films decreased by a wide margin and was less than 2.0 at a PU mass fraction of 20%. It implies that this is an effective means to reduce the dielectric constant of PI, but it also causes the decrease of tensile strength and the rise of water absorption. Translated from Chemistry Journal of Chinese Universities 2006, 27(1): (in Chinese)     

Dielectric analysis of sheep erythrocyte ghost. Examination of applicability of dielectric mixture equations

The purpose of this study is to confirm the applicability of dielectric mixture equations in dielectric analysis of biological cell suspensions. Two dielectric mixture equations, the Pauly-Schwan (P-S) equation and the Hanai-Asami-Koizumi (H-A-K) equation were tested using sheep erythrocyte ghosts whose internal solution is identical with the external solution. Dielectric measurements were carried out for the ghost suspensions over a frequency range 10 kHz to 100 MHz; a single dielectric relaxation was found between 100 kHz and 10 MHz. From the dielectric relaxation, the conductivity and permittivity of the ghost interior and the capacitance of the cell membrane were calculated following the P-S and H-A-K equations. When the H-A-K equation was employed (and as expected from the property of the ghosts), the estimated internal conductivity was in good agreement with the external conductivity at volume fractions up to about 0.7. With the P-S equation, on the other hand, the same results as above were obtained but only at low volume fractions below about 0.3. In addition, the H-A-K equation provided a better simulation for the observed relaxation curves than did the P-S equation, especially at high volume fractions. It is, therefore, concluded that the H-A-K equation is applicable to a wider range of volume fraction than is the P-S equation.     

Structural control of oligomeric methyl silsesquioxane precursors and their thin‐film properties

Oligomeric methyl silsesquioxane (O‐MSSQ) precursors were prepared from methyl trimethoxysilane (MTMS) in a mixed solvent of methyl isobutyl ketone and tetrahydrofuran by variations in the pH and molar ratio of water to MTMS (R₁). The molecular structures of O‐MSSQ were controlled by the reaction conditions. At a fixed pH value, the percentage of the end group, Si? OCH₃, decreased with increasing R₁, but that of Si? OH increased. With the pH increasing, the ratio of Si? OCH₃ groups to Si? OH groups was enhanced, but ratio of the molecular weights was reduced. The molecular weight distribution was progressively broader as the pH value decreased. These results were explained by the effects of R₁ and pH on the hydrolysis and condensation reactions. The prepared O‐MSSQ precursors consisted of mixed cage and network structures. The ratio of cage structures to network structures increased at low pH and high R₁ values. Highly uniform thin films were spin‐coated from the O‐MSSQ precursors, and this was followed by multistep curing. The content of cage structures in O‐MSSQ films decreased with increasing curing temperatures, whereas the network content in O‐MSSQ films showed the opposite trend. Such a structural transformation resulted in significant variations in the physical properties. Both the refractive index and dielectric constant decreased with higher cage/network ratios because of changes in the molar volume. The prepared O‐MSSQ has potential applications as a low dielectric constant material. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1560–1571, 2002     

Effect of ZnO nanoparticles doping on structural,dielectric and interfacial behavior of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan/ethylene glycol lyotropic phases

ABSTRACT

We are reporting on the interaction of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) with the lyotropic phase comprises of Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate and protic solvent ethylene glycol. The concentration of the NPs has been varying from 0.05 to 0.5 wt%. Multiwall lamellar and inverse phases have been observed at lower and higher concentration of ZnO NPs doping. Interestingly, the organization of ZnO NPs on the periphery and inside the periphery of ring-like structures has been observed at lower and higher concentration of the dopant, respectively. Such organization of the NPs can be explained considering interfacial interaction amid host and dopant and may also attribute to the adsorption mechanisms of surfactant. Effects of NPs doping on the dielectric dynamics has also been examined. About 32.6% decrease in the dielectric permittivity has been noticed at higher NPs doping. Such decrement in permittivity could be a result of the screening of the ZnO NPs dipole moment by the adsorption of surfactant molecules on their surface. Relaxation and optical parameters of the non-doped and doped mixtures have also been discussed.     

Pitzer-Debye-Hückel limiting slopes for water from 0 to 350°C and from saturation to 1 kbar

Using internationally recognized critical evaluations for the dielectric constant of water by Uematsu and Franck and the thermodynamic surface of water by Haar, Gallagher, and Kell, the Bureau of Mines presents values for the Pitzer-Debye-Hückel limiting slopes for osmotic coefficients, apparent molal enthalpies, apparent molal heat capacities, apparent molal volumes, molal compressibilities, and apparent molal expansivities from 0 to 350°C and from saturation to 1 kbar.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel 3,6‐di[3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]pyromellitic dianhydride for polyimide synthesis

A novel dianhydride monomer, 3,6‐di[3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]pyromellitic dianhydride (12FPMDA), was synthesized via a three‐step process: (1) the preparation of 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)benzene boronic acid (6FBB) and 3,6‐dibromo‐1,2,4,5‐tetramethylbenzene (2B4MB) via Grignard and bromination reactions, respectively; (2) the Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction of 6FBB and 2B4MB, resulting in 3,6‐di[3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]tetramethylbenzene (12F4MB); and (3) the oxidation and cyclodehydration of 12F4MB to afford 12FPMDA. 12FPMDA was then characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR, elemental analysis, and a melting‐point apparatus, and it was used to prepare polyimides with aromatic diamines such as 1,1‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethane and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylether. Polyimides were synthesized via a two‐step process: (1) the preparation of poly(amic acid) in p‐chlorophenol with isoquinoline and (2) solution imidization at the reflux temperature for 12 h. They were designed to have molecular weights of 20,000 g/mol via off‐stoichiometry. The resulting polyimides were characterized by FTIR, NMR, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis, and their solubility, solution viscosity, water absorption, coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs), and dielectric constants were also evaluated. The polyimides exhibited excellent solubility even in acetone and toluene, high glass‐transition temperatures (>311 °C), good thermal stability (>518 °C in air), and well‐controlled molecular weights (19,000–21,000 g/mol). They also provided low CTEs (35–50 ppm/°C), water absorption (1.26–1.35 wt %), and dielectric constants (2.49–2.52). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4217–4227, 2002     

AMORPHOUS POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) FILMS IN THE STATE OF HIGH GLOBAL CHAIN ORIENTATION BUT NEARLY RANDOM SEGMENTAL ORIENTATION

The isotropy or anisotropy in some physical properties of the ammorphous poly(ethyleneterephthalate) films uniaxially drawn at temperatures above its T_g and then quenched toroom temperature have been studied. Experimental results here presented show that thisamorphous state of high global chain orientation but nearly random segmental orientation,the GOLR state, is nearly isotropic in refractive indices and Young's modulus for smalldeformation, while it is very probably anisotropic in thermal conduction and microwavedielectric properties.