Application of Spectroscopy and Microscopy Techniques in Surface Coatings Evaluation: A Review

Abstract: This article presents a review of the published articles related to the novel application of spectroscopy and microscopy methods in paint and coatings quality evaluation. Traditional and simple techniques have been used in paint and coating industry for many years and proven to be effective. However, the paint and coating industry faces new formulations with nontraditional applications. Therefore, the industry needs to adjust itself with the current sophisticated production and testing methods. There are a number of modern microscopy and spectroscopy techniques that can be utilized in the paint and coating industry for a better understanding of the product quality and/or application performance. This, in particular, is highly applicable in modern and nontraditional applications such as nanotechnology and smart coatings. Though importance of spectroscopy and microscopy methods is being increasingly recognized in the industry, there is no current comprehensive review available to highlight the need for novel application of these techniques in surface coatings evaluations.     

Surface modification for the perfluorosulfonate proton-conducting electrolyte membrane

The positively charged ions of palladium particles are obtained by reducing the solution containing metallic ions in the presence of PDDA (poly-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) medium. The nascent palladium particles are dispersed evenly on the surface of the perfluorosulfonate proton-conducting electrolyte membrane and bonded firmly to the activation center of the membrane. The mechanical strength of membrane is greatly enhanced by surface modification. And the methanol diffusion coefficients of the modified membrane are decreased prominently by the deposition of palladium particles on the surface, which serves as a natural barrier for methanol crossing.     

Challenges of structure determination of compound surfaces

Attention is drawn to challenges facing the structure determination of compound surfaces of growing complexity. Besides the questions of large unit cells and disorder, and of many independent atoms in the unit cells, one must address the determination of composition, compositional disorder and simultaneously coexisting structures. Of special concern is the issue of stability of complex and compound surfaces, and the resulting concerns about experimental surface preparation and reproducibility.     

Ionic liquids with herbicidal anions

Ionic liquids with herbicidal anions (named herbicidal ionic liquids—HILs) were synthesized and characterized. The combination of two active chemicals as the [cation][anion] form in a single moiety reduced the number of additional chemicals required per application. HILs ([cation][MCPA]) exhibited higher biological activity than currently used salts of MCPA, and involved pesticides of a multidirectional activity ([plant growth regulator][MCPA]). Acute toxicity of HILs could be controlled by appropriate selection of cation type. These salts had chemical and thermal stability, and showed substantially lower water solubility than starting herbicides, thus reducing soil and groundwater mobility.     

BEHAVIOR OF CHO CELLS ON MODIFIED POLYPROPYLENE BY LOW TEMPERATURE AMMONIA PLASMA

1. INTRODUCTION Bioreactors using membranes as substrates of cell cultures have become widely used for hybrid liver support systems [1]. For enhancing and prolonging the metabolism of the bioreactors, cytocompatible membranes are necessary because the cell culture is closely affected by the substrate surface. Surface factors considered to be important in cell culture are the concentration of ionic groups, the nature of polar and non-polar groups and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance [2].…     

Effects of textured morphology on the short circuit current of single crystalline silicon solar cells: Evaluation of alkaline wet-texture processes

The effect of different surface morphologies obtained by anisotropic etching on the light trapping and short circuit current of single crystalline silicon solar cells was investigated. The anisotropic texturing of a (1 0 0) silicon surface was performed using potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution and/or tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution including isopropyl alcohol (IPA) additive or tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) additive. Texturing in TMAH solution formed smaller pyramids on the textured surface compared with texturing in KOH solution. Although the textured samples showed similar reflectances (except in the case of the TBA additive), they showed different short circuit currents. Texturing in KOH/TMAH solution led to a 9.6% increase in short circuit current compared with texturing in KOH/IPA solution, a typical etchant in commercial processes. Based on these results, the reflectivity has no simple proportionality relationship to the short circuit current, and the short circuit current of silicon solar cells should be the criterion used in evaluating texturing effects on reducing reflectance and forming a sound junction with high collection efficiency.     

Diffusivity of adatoms on plasma-exposed surfaces determined from the ionization energy approximation and ionic polarizability

Microscopic surface diffusivity theory based on atomic ionization energy concept is developed to explain the variations of the atomic and displacement polarizations with respect to the surface diffusion activation energy of adatoms in the process of self-assembly of quantum dots on plasma-exposed surfaces. These polarizations are derived classically, while the atomic polarization is quantized to obtain the microscopic atomic polarizability. The surface diffusivity equation is derived as a function of the ionization energy. The results of this work can be used to fine-tune the delivery rates of different adatoms onto nanostructure growth surfaces and optimize the low-temperature plasma based nanoscale synthesis processes.     

Dynamics of surface reactions: from “hot” precursors to conventional thermal activation

Heterogeneous catalytic reactions usually contain steps, e.g., adsorption, generating energy-rich (“hot”) precursors for other steps. With increasing the rate of energy relaxation one can observe a transition from the reaction regime dominated by “hot” precursors to conventional thermal activation. To illustrate this transition in detail and to show what may happen in various situations, I present an analytical model based on the Fokker-Planck equation for energy relaxation.