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Plasma Treatment (plasma + treatment)
Kinds of Plasma Treatment Selected AbstractsA New Generation of Catalytic Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Membranes: Coupling Plasma Treatment with Chemical Immobilization of Tungsten-Based Catalysts ,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 11 2006C. Lopez Abstract A new generation of catalytically active membranes for secondary amine oxidation and phenol degradation has been developed by coupling the advantages of low-temperature plasma-modification processes with surface chemical immobilization reactions of catalysts. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes have been modified with NH3 radiofrequency glow discharges in order to graft amino groups at their surface, providing active sites for stable immobilization of tungsten-based heterogeneous catalysts. Particular attention has been focused on tungstate, WO42,, and decatungstate, W10O324,, which act efficiently as catalysts for the oxidation of secondary amines and as photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants, respectively. Plasma-modified membranes surface-tailored with WO42, have been used in catalytic membrane reactors to activate hydrogen peroxide for oxidizing secondary amines to nitrones; membranes modified with W10O324, have been used for the complete degradation of phenol. The obtained results, in terms of amine,nitrone conversion and phenol degradation, respectively, appear extremely promising; these modified membranes can be considered as a pioneering, successful example of heterogenization of W-based catalysts on plasma-treated membranes. [source] Some Effects of Corona Plasma Treatment of Polylactide/Montmorillonite Nanocomposite FilmsPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue S1 2009Marian, enkiewicz Abstract Influence of the unit energy (Eu) of corona discharge used for modification of pure polylactide (PLA) and polylactide nanocomposite (PLAC) containing 5 wt% of an aluminosilicate nanofiller (Cloisite 30B) on water (,W) and diiodomethane (,D) contact angles as well as on surface free energy (,s) of these polymers was studied. ,W and ,D as advancing contact angles were measured with use of a goniometer while ,s was calculated by the Owens,Wendt method. It was found that ,W increased with the rising Eu while ,D remained approximately constant. Assuming Eu,=,const, it could be stated that the increase in ,s was much more evident for PLA than for PLAC. This increase resulted practically from the change in the polar component of ,s because the dispersive component for the two materials only slightly decreased with increase in Eu. [source] Improvement of the Optical Transmission of Polymer Planar Waveguides by Plasma TreatmentPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue 3 2008Aissam Airoudj Abstract The aim of the present work is to reduce the optical losses of glycidyl ether of bisphenol A (SU-8) polymer planar waveguides using cold plasmas, which allow the substitution of H atoms by F. CF4 and mixtures of CF4/H2 RF plasma treatments were carried out for the surface fluorination of the SU-8 waveguide. The observed decrease in the optical losses due to propagation in the Si/SiO2/fluorinated SU-8 planar waveguides has been correlated with the surface fluorination as measured by XPS and CA measurements. In order to understand and to optimize the fluorination process, the plasma phase was analyzed by OES. Finally, the thickness of the fluorinated layer was estimated using modulated incident-angle XPS. [source] Surface Modification of Poly(propylene) Microporous Membrane to Improve Its Antifouling Characteristics in an SMBR: O2 Plasma TreatmentPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue 1 2008Hai-Yin Yu Abstract Fouling is the major obstacle in membrane processes applied in water and wastewater treatment. To improve the antifouling characteristics of PPHFMMs in an SMBR for wastewater treatment, the PPHFMMs were surface-modified by O2 low temperature plasma treatment. Structural and morphological changes on the membrane surface were characterized by XPS and FE-SEM. The change of surface wettability was monitored by contact angle measurements. Results of XPS clearly indicated that the plasma treatment introduced oxygen containing polar groups on the membrane surface. The static water contact angle of the modified membrane reduced obviously with the increase of plasma treatment time. The relative pure water flux for the modified membranes increased with plasma treatment time up to 1 min, then it decreased with further increase of plasma treatment time. Decreases in the tensile strength and the tensile elongation at break of the modified membranes were also observed. To assess the relation between the plasma treatment and the membrane fouling in an SMBR, filtration for activated sludge was carried out by using synthetic wastewater. After continuous operation in the SMBR for about 75 h, flux recovery were 8.7 and 12.3%, reduction of flux were 91.6 and 87.4% for the nascent and O2 plasma treated PPHFMM for 1 min, relative flux ratio for O2 plasma treated PPHFMM for 1 min was 49.9% higher than that of the nascent PPHFMM. [source] Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Glass Fibre Composite for Adhesion ImprovementPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue S1 2007Yukihiro Kusano Abstract Glass-fibre-reinforced polyester composite plates were treated with an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge. Synthetic air was used as the treatment gas. The water contact angle dropped markedly from 84 to 22° after a 2-s treatment, and decreased to 0° when the composite plates were treated for more than 30 s. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis showed that the contents of aluminium and oxygen on the surface increased with the plasma treatment. The adhesion strength of the 2-s treated surface was comparable to or higher than that achieved by conventional mechanical surface roughening. It decreased when the surfaces were treated for 5 and 15 s, but recovered for 30-s treatment. [source] Surface Modification of Al2O3 -Cr Ceramic by Non-isothermal N2 Plasma Treatment at Atmospheric PressurePLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue S1 2007Andrzej R. Olszyna Abstract Al2O3/Cr composite ceramic was ion-nitrided in N2 under atmospheric pressure. The plasma was generated by two different systems: an ac high voltage corona discharge, and an ac high voltage concentric dielectric barrier discharge. An analysis of the plasma light emission revealed the presence of N ions (upto 50%) and confirmed the non-isothermal state of the plasma. The treated surface of the high melting sinter was smoothened when its components were nitrided so that Cr is transformed into Cr2N and Al2O3 is transformed into AlN. [source] Functionalization of Copper Surfaces by Plasma Treatments to Improve Adhesion of Epoxy ResinsPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue S1 2009Juliano Nestor Borges Abstract Adhesion of epoxy resins on copper foils for printed circuit board (PCB) applications is improved by nearly a factor of 5, using surface cleaning and deposition of a 15-nm-thick film in a low-pressure remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. The cleaning pretreatment, using an N2,O2 oxidizing gas mixture with moderate heating (343 K), gives the best results. This pretreatment removes the carbonaceous contaminants present on the topmost surface of the sample and slightly oxidizes the copper into CuO. This oxide is then reduced during the deposition treatment, presumably by reaction with the aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) precursor. The surface roughness is unchanged after treatment, thereby showing that the improvement of the copper/epoxy adhesion is only due to the chemistry of the plasma coating. Applying these results to dielectric barrier discharges allows us to achieve the same level of adhesion, which, therefore, does not depend on the process. [source] Topographical and Wettability Effects of Post-Discharge Plasma Treatments on Macroporous Polystyrene-Divinylbenzene Solid FoamsPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue 10 2009Cristina Canal Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological characteristics and wetting properties of polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) solid foams and their modification through post-discharge plasmas. The low-density solid foams are mainly macroporous, but show a small fraction of mesopores; their characterization revealed differences in topography between the smoother surface and the rougher bulk, while from the chemical point of view both regions of the PS-DVB solid foams are hydrophobic. The macroporous structure of these materials with high pore volume makes them interesting for the design of new drug delivery systems, but some active principles and the physiological media are hydrophilic; therefore, it would be of interest to modify the wettability of the materials via post-discharge plasma treatments. [source] Mechanical behavior of cold plasma,treated sisal and high-density polyethylene compositesPOLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 3 2003Adriana R. Martin Sisal fibers and finely powdered high-density polyethylene were surface functionalized with dichlorosilane on a RF(radio frequency)-plasma reactor. Composites made from sisal and high-density polyethylene were compounded using a thermokinetic mixer. The discharged mass was cooled, granulated, and injected molded into composite specimens for testing. The mechanical behaviors (tensile, impact and thermal dynamical mechanical properties) of composites made from cold plasma-treated and untreated components are compared and discussed. The best mechanical performance was generally obtained for composites where only the inert thermoplastic matrix was plasma-functionalized. Plasma treatment of lignocellulosic fibers seems to induce decomposition processes of the surface layers structures exposed to the plasma that generally does not contribute to significant improvement on the mechanical behavior of the composite. [source] Surface tension of poly(ester urethane)s and poly(ether urethane)sPOLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2007Mihaela Lupu Abstract The correlation between the surface tension parameters and the chemical composition of poly(ester urethane) and poly(ether urethane) thin films with different soft and hard segments, both before and after plasma treatment, was investigated. Calculations are based on the geometric mean approach of Owens and Wendt (Owens DK and Wendt RC, J Appl Polym Sci13:1741 (1969)), Rabel (Rabel W, Physikalische Blätter33:151 (1977)) and Kälble (Kälble DH, J Adhesion1:102 (1969)), on the Lifshitz,van der Waals acid/base approach of van Oss and co-workers (van Oss CJ, Good RJ and Chaudhury MK, Langmuir4:884 (1988); van Oss CJ, Ju L, Chaudhury MK and Good RJ, Chem Rev88:927 (1988); van Oss CJ, Interfacial Forces in Aqueous Media. Marcel Dekker, New York (1994)) and on the theoretical methods involving quantitative structure,property relationships (Bicerano J, JMS Rev Macromol Chem PhysC36:161 (1996)). For all investigated films, the polar terms contribute significantly to the total surface tensions, as due to the large electron donor, , interactions. Plasma treatment alters the surface energy of samples by changing their surface polarity and hydrophilicity. The hydrophilicity trends for polyurethanes were also studied by means of the free energy of hydration between compounds and water. Preliminary blood contact tests of the selected polyurethane sample with higher hydrophilicity were developed for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Elimination of Biological Contaminations from Surfaces by Plasma Discharges: Chemical SputteringCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 7 2010Hubert Rauscher Dr. Abstract Plasma treatment of surfaces as a sterilisation or decontamination method is a promising approach to overcome limitations of conventional techniques. The precise characterisation of the employed plasma discharges, the application of sensitive surface diagnostic methods and targeted experiments to separate the effects of different agents, have led to rapid progress in the understanding of different relevant elementary processes. This contribution provides an overview of the most relevant and recent results, which reveal the importance of chemical sputtering as one of the most important processes for the elimination of biological residuals. Selected studies on the interaction of plasmas with bacteria, proteins and polypeptides are highlighted, and investigations employing beams of atoms and ions confirming the prominent role of chemical sputtering are presented. With this knowledge, it is possible to optimize the plasma treatment for decontamination/sterilisation purposes in terms of discharge composition, density of active species and UV radiation intensity. [source] H2/NH3 Plasma-Grafting of PEEK-WC-PU Membrane to Improve their cyto-Compatibility with HepatocytesPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue S1 2009Stefania Laera Abstract Plasma treatments in H2 and NH3 RF (13.56 MHz) glow discharges have been used for modifying the surface of PEEK-WC-PU membranes. Water contact angle (WCA) and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were performed to study the compositional changes of PEEK-WC-PU membranes after grafting. Cell culture experiments with human hepatocytes clearly show that grafting N-containing groups improves the cyto-compatibility of the membranes. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 16'2010ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 16 2010Article first published online: 19 AUG 2010 Issue no. 16 is a regular issue with an Emphasis on "Proteins and Proteomics" comprising 20 manuscripts distributed over 4 separate parts. Part I has 7 research articles on various aspects of proteins and proteomics including combinatorial peptide ligand library for accessing low abundance proteins, analysis of membrane proteins, proteomic profiling of human colon cancer cells, quantitative determinations of biomarkers in clinical diagnostics, recombinant factor VIII, analysis of E. coli soluble proteins, and a weakly basic amino-reactive fluorescent label for IEF of proteins and chip electrophoresis. Part II has 2 research articles dealing with the CE analysis of magnetic nanoparticles and a microfluidic magnetic bead impact for cell stimulation. Part III consists of 2 research articles dealing with on-line preconcentration in CE. Instrumentation, devices and various methodologies are described in 9 research articles, which make the content of Part IV. Featured articles include: Combinatorial peptide ligand library plasma treatment: Advantages for accessing low-abundance proteins ((doi: 10.1002/elps.201000188)) Precautions to improve the accuracy of quantitative determinations of biomarkers in clinical diagnostics ((doi: 10.1002/elps.201000243)) Rapid identification of Candida albicans in blood by combined capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence in situ hybridization ((doi: 10.1002/elps.201000138)) [source] Underivatized cyclic olefin copolymer as substrate material and stationary phase for capillary and microchip electrochromatographyELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 15 2008Omar Gustafsson Abstract We report, for the first time, the use of underivatized cyclic olefin copolymer (COC, more specifically: Topas) as the substrate material and the stationary phase for capillary and microchip electrochromatography (CEC), and demonstrate chromatographic separations without the need of coating procedures. Electroosmotic mobility measurements in a 25,,m id Topas capillary showed a significant cathodic EOF that is pH-dependent. The magnitude of the electroosmotic mobility is comparable to that found in glass substrates and other polymeric materials. Open-tubular CEC was employed to baseline-separate three neutral compounds in an underivatized Topas capillary with plate heights ranging from 5.3 to 12.7,,m. The analytes were detected using UV absorbance at 254,nm, thus taking advantage of the optical transparency of Topas at short wavelengths. The fabrication of a Topas-based electrochromatography microchip by nanoimprint lithography is also presented. The microchip has an array of pillars in the separation column to increase the surface area. The smallest features that were successfully imprinted were around 2,,m wide and 5,,m high. No plasma treatment was used during the bonding, thus keeping the surface properties of the native material. An RP microchip electrochromatography separation of three fluorescently labeled amines is demonstrated on the underivatized microchip with plate heights ranging from 3.4 to 22,,m. [source] Multilayer poly(vinyl alcohol)-adsorbed coating on poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic chips for biopolymer separationELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 1 2005Dapeng Wu Abstract A poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic chip surface was modified by multilayer-adsorbed and heat-immobilized poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) after oxygen plasma treatment. The reflection absorption infrared spectrum (RAIRS) showed that 88% hydrolyzed PVA adsorbed more strongly than 100% hydrolyzed one on the oxygen plasma-pretreated PDMS surface, and they all had little adsorption on original PDMS surface. Repeating the coating procedure three times was found to produce the most robust and effective coating. PVA coating converted the original PDMS surface from a hydrophobic one into a hydrophilic surface, and suppressed electroosmotic flow (EOF) in the range of pH 3,11. More than 1 000,000 plates/m and baseline resolution were obtained for separation of fluorescently labeled basic proteins (lysozyme, ribonuclease B). Fluorescently labeled acidic proteins (bovine serum albumin, ,-lactoglobulin) and fragments of dsDNA ,X174 RF/HaeIII were also separated satisfactorily in the three-layer 88% PVA-coated PDMS microchip. Good separation of basic proteins was obtained for about 70 consecutive runs. [source] Dentin surface treatment using a non-thermal argon plasma brush for interfacial bonding improvement in composite restorationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 5 2010Andy C. Ritts Ritts AC, Li H, Yu Q, Xu C, Yao X, Hong L, Wang Y. Dentin surface treatment using a non-thermal argon plasma brush for interfacial bonding improvement in composite restoration. Eur J Oral Sci 2010; 118: 510,516. © 2010 Eur J Oral Sci The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment effects of non-thermal atmospheric gas plasmas on dentin surfaces used for composite restoration. Extracted unerupted human third molars were prepared by removing the crowns and etching the exposed dentin surfaces with 35% phosphoric acid gel. The dentin surfaces were treated using a non-thermal atmospheric argon plasma brush for various periods of time. The molecular changes of the dentin surfaces were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry/attenuated total reflectance (FTIR/ATR), and an increase in the amount of carbonyl groups was detected on plasma-treated dentin surfaces. Adper Single Bond Plus adhesive and Filtek Z250 dental composite were applied as directed. To evaluate the dentin/composite interfacial bonding, the teeth thus prepared were sectioned into micro-bars and analyzed using tensile testing. Student,Newman,Keuls tests showed that the bonding strength of the composite restoration to peripheral dentin was significantly increased (by 64%) after 30 s of plasma treatment. However, the bonding strength to plasma-treated inner dentin did not show any improvement. It was found that plasma treatment of the peripheral dentin surface for up to 100 s resulted in an increase in the interfacial bonding strength, while prolonged plasma treatment of dentin surfaces (e.g. 5 min) resulted in a decrease in the interfacial bonding strength. [source] Superhydrophobic Coatings: Bioinspired Degradable Substrates with Extreme Wettability Properties (Adv. Mater.ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 18 200918/2009) João Mano and co-workers have developed new superhydrophobic poly(L -lactic acid) substrates for biomedical applications, reported on p.1830. The wettability of the substrates can be controlled within the superhydrophobic,superhydrophilic range by using argon plasma treatment. The inside cover image shows the texture of such a substrate exhibiting micro-and nanoscale roughness, which gives rise its extreme wettability behavior (the structure in the image can be viewed more clearly using 3D glasses). [source] Patterned Growth and Transfer of ZnO Micro and Nanocrystals with Size and Location Control,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 8 2008Jesse J. Cole A method to fabricate and transfer crystalline ZnO with control over location, orientation, size, and shape is reported. The process uses an oxygen plasma treatment in combination with a photoresist pattern on magnesium-doped GaN substrates to define narrow nucleation regions and attachment points with 100 nanometer scale dimensions. Lateral epitaxial overgrowth follows nucleation to produce single-crystalline ZnO shown in the figure. [source] Importance of O(3P) atoms and OH radicals in hydrocarbon oxidation during the nonthermal plasma treatment of diesel exhaust inferred using relative-rate methods,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 6 2003John Hoard The consumption of acetylene and propene during passage of simulated diesel exhaust through a nonthermal plasma at 453 K and atmospheric pressure was studied using experimental and computational techniques. Experimental observations of the relative decay rates of acetylene and propene and computer modeling of the chemical and physical processes in the plasma suggest that O(3P) atoms and, to a lesser extent, OH radicals are the dominant species responsible for initiating hydrocarbon oxidation in this system. Results are discussed in terms of the gas-phase chemistry occurring during the nonthermal plasma treatment of diesel exhaust. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 231,238, 2003 [source] Influence of relative gas humidity on the inactivation efficiency of a low temperature gas plasmaJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008P. Muranyi Abstract Aims:, To investigate the effect of relative gas humidity on the inactivation efficiency of a cascaded dielectric barrier discharge (CDBD) in air against Aspergillus niger and Bacillus subtilis spores on PET foils. Methods and Results:, The inactivation kinetics as a function of treatment time were determined using synthetic air with different relative humidity as the process gas. Spores of A. niger and B. subtilis respectively were evenly sprayed on PET foils for use as bioindicators. In the case of A. niger, increased spore mortality was found at a high relative gas humidity of 70% (approx. 2 log10). This effect was more evident at prolonged treatment times. In contrast, B. subtilis showed slightly poorer inactivation at high gas humidity. Conclusions:, Water molecules in the process gas significantly affect the inactivation efficiency of CDBD in air. Significance and Impact of the Study:, Modifying simple process parameters such as the relative gas humidity can be used to optimize plasma treatment to improve inactivation of resistant micro-organisms such as conidiospores of A. niger. [source] Superficial modification in recycled PET by plasma etching for food packagingJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010S. A. Cruz Abstract An oxygen plasma treatment has been used to improve the adhesion of amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films onto surfaces of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). Modifications produced by the oxygen plasma on the PET surface in chemical bonds and morphology were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Contact angle measurements were used to study the changes in the surface wettability. Adhesion of the a-C:H film onto the PET surface was investigated by the tape test method. It was observed that the improvement in film adhesion is in good correlation with the increase in surface roughness, due to plasma etching, and with the appearance of oxygen-related functional groups at the surface. The results of this study indicate that a-C:H-coated recycled PET can be used in food packaging. The a-C:H film could be used as a functional barrier to reduce or prevent migration of contaminants from the polymer to the package content. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Chemical modification of polyethersulfone nanofiltration membranes: A reviewJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009B. Van der Bruggen Abstract Polysulfone (PS) and poly(ether)sulfone (PES) are often used for synthesis of nanofiltration membranes, due to their chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability. The disadvantage for applying PS/PES is their high hydrophobicity, which increases membrane fouling. To optimize the performance of PS/PES nanofiltration membranes, membranes can be modified. An increase in membrane hydrophilicity is a good method to improve membrane performance. This article reviews chemical (and physicochemical) modification methods applied to increase the hydrophilicity of PS/PES nanofiltration membranes. Modification of poly(ether)sulfone membranes in view of increasing hydrophilicity can be carried out in several ways. Physical or chemical membrane modification processes after formation of the membrane create more hydrophilic surfaces. Such modification processes are (1) graft polymerization that chemically attaches hydrophilic monomers to the membrane surface; (2) plasma treatment, that introduces different functional groups to the membrane surface; and (3) physical preadsorption of hydrophilic components to the membrane surface. Surfactant modification, self-assembly of hydrophilic nanoparticles and membrane nitrification are also such membrane modification processes. Another approach is based on modification of polymers before membrane formation. This bulk modification implies the modification of membrane materials before membrane synthesis of the incorporation of hydrophilic additives in the membrane matrix during membrane synthesis. Sulfonation, carboxylation, and nitration are such techniques. To conclude, polymer blending also results in membranes with improved surface characteristics. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009 [source] Laser scanning confocal microscope characterization of dye diffusion in nylon 6 fibers treated with atmospheric pressure plasmasJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008Chunxia Wang Abstract The effect of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on wettability and dyeability of nylon 6 fibers is investigated. The plasma treatments resulted in an average of 10°,20° decrease in the advancing contact angle and 20°,30° decrease in the receding contact angle. An increased dye diffusion rate of nylon 6 fibers was observed using laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). Scanning electron microscope confirmed that the fiber surfaces were roughened, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the polar groups on the fiber surfaces increased after the plasma treatments. As the plasma treatment time increased, a greater degree of etching was achieved and more polar groups such as hydroxyl and carboxyl groups produced on the surfaces of the nylon 6 fibers, leading to a better wettability and thus a better dyeability of the fiber. This study proved that LSCM may be effectively used in detecting the change of dye diffusion rate in nylon fibers treated with plasmas and the mounting medium should have a close refractive index as the fiber to avoid distortion of the fiber cross section image. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 [source] Grafting of poly(N -isopropylacrylamide) onto nylon and polystyrene surfaces by atmospheric plasma treatment followed with free radical graft copolymerizationJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2007Xiaoling Wang Abstract Stimuli-responsive polymer materials (SRPs) have potential uses in drug delivery, tissue engineering, bioreactors, and cell-surface adhesion control. Temperature-responsive surfaces were fabricated by grafting poly(N -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) onto nylon and polystyrene surfaces via a new procedure, i.e., He atmospheric plasma treatment followed by free radical graft copolymerization. The atmospheric plasma exhibits the activation capability to initiate graft copolymerization. The procedure is suitable for integration into a continuous manufacturing process. To reduce homopolymerization and enhance graft yield, Mohr's salt was added. The graft of PNIPAM was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Dramatic water contact angle increase was found for PNIPAM-grafted polymers at about 32°C, indicating the temperature sensitivity of the grafted surface, i.e., the change of surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic when temperature increases above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The addition of Mohr's salt enhances the grafting reaction and the magnitude of temperature sensitivity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 3614,3621, 2007 [source] Functional finishing by using atmospheric pressure plasma: Grafting of PET nonwoven fabricJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2007Younsook Shin Abstract Poly (ethylene terephtalate) (PET) nonwoven fabric was treated with He/O2 plasma to produce peroxides and grafted with acrylic acid (AA) for introducing carboxyl groups onto PET surface. The graft yield increased with AA concentration from 1.5M to 2.5M, and then decreased with further increase in AA concentration. Graft yield increased with sodium pyrosulfite (SPS) concentration from 0.005M to 0.02M, and then decreased with further increase of SPS concentration. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that both of plasma treatment and AA grafting increased oxygen content and decreased carbon content on the PET nonwoven fabric surface. The grafted PET nonwoven fabric showed increase in moisture regain and dye uptake. And drastic increase in wettability was observed after grafting. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3655,3659, 2007 [source] Sorption and permeation behavior for CO2 in NH3 -plasma-treated and untreated polystyrene membranesJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Y.-S. Yang Abstract In our preceding work, the simultaneous deviation from the conventional dual-mode sorption and mobility model was observed in a case of CO2 in polystyrene (PS) membrane (glass transition temperature of pure polymer = 95°C) at 60 and 70°C. The plasticization effect of sorbed CO2 on both the sorption and diffusion processes tends to be brought about in glassy polymer membranes near the glass transition temperature. The behavior was simulated based on the concept that only one population of sorbed gas molecules of plasticizing ability to the polymer should exist. In the present work, the sorption and permeation behavior for CO2 in NH3 -plasma-treated and untreated PS membranes at 40°C was investigated, where NH3 -plasma treatment was executed at plasma discharge powers of 40, 80, 120, and 160 W for an exposure time of 2 min. The sorption isotherm could be described by the sorption theory of Mi et al. (Macromolecules 1991, 24, 2361), where the glass transition temperature is depressed by a concentration of sorbed CO2 of plasticizing ability. NH3 -plasma treatment on PS membrane had little influence on the sorption behavior of CO2 at plasma discharge powers up to 160 W. The mean permeability coefficients were somewhat increased only at a discharge power of 160 W. At CO2 pressures below 0.9 MPa, the pressure dependencies of mean permeability coefficients for CO2 in both NH3 -plasma-treated and untreated PS membranes at 40°C could also be simulated on the basis of the concept that only one population of sorbed gas molecules of plasticizing ability should exist. At CO2 pressures above 0.9 MPa, however, a plasticization action of sorbed CO2 had much more influence on the diffusion process rather than on the sorption one, and such a combined concept underestimated the mean permeability coefficient. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1798,1805, 2007 [source] Low pressure plasma-based approaches to fluorocarbon polymer surface modificationJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 1 2007M. Nitschke Abstract A survey and comparison of several low pressure plasma-based approaches to fluorocarbon polymer surface modification is reported including "simple" plasma treatment, "grafting to" and "grafting from" plasma activated surfaces, plasma immobilization of predeposited molecules and the adsorption of charged macromolecules on plasma activated surfaces. Examples of each method are discussed in detail based on results from surface analytical experiments using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, and electrokinetic measurements. All reported examples refer to one and the same experimental setup. This makes the different approaches comparable and helps to exploit a wide range of plasma-based techniques for a particular goal and a given apparatus. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 100,109, 2007 [source] Fabrication and surface modification of macroporous poly(L -lactic acid) and poly(L -lactic- co -glycolic acid) (70/30) cell scaffolds for human skin fibroblast cell cultureJOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH, Issue 3 2002Jian Yang Abstract The fabrication and surface modification of a porous cell scaffold are very important in tissue engineering. Of most concern are high-density cell seeding, nutrient and oxygen supply, and cell affinity. In the present study, poly(L -lactic acid) and poly(L -lactic- co -glycolic acid) (70/30) cell scaffolds with different pore structures were fabricated. An improved method based on Archimedes' Principle for measuring the porosity of scaffolds, using a density bottle, was developed. Anhydrous ammonia plasma treatment was used to modify surface properties to improve the cell affinity of the scaffolds. The results show that hydrophilicity and surface energy were improved. The polar N-containing groups and positive charged groups also were incorporated into the sample surface. A low-temperature treatment was used to maintain the plasma-modified surface properties effectively. It would do help to the further application of plasma treatment technique. Cell culture results showed that pores smaller than 160 ,m are suitable for human skin fibroblast cell growth. Cell seeding efficiency was maintained at above 99%, which is better than the efficiency achieved with the common method of prewetting by ethanol. The plasma-treatment method also helped to resolve the problem of cell loss during cell seeding, and the negative effects of the ethanol trace on cell culture were avoided. The results suggest that anhydrous ammonia plasma treatment enhances the cell affinity of porous scaffolds. Mass transport issues also have been considered. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 62: 438,446, 2002 [source] Application of a Plasma Reactor to Modify Egg Ovalbumin for Improved SolubilityJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 1 2001G.H. Gao ABSTRACT: A Plasma reactor was used to change the surface structure of ovalbumin and enhance solubility. The gases used to generate the plasmas were air, argon, nitrogen and oxygen. Ovalbumin was exposed to the gases for 10, 20, 30, 60, and 120 min. Unexposed ovalbumin served as the control. Samples were examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), spectrophotometry, fluorometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and circular dichroism. Solubility and hydrophobicity of ovalbumin increased with exposure time, whereas endothermic enthalpy, onset PAGE. No change in CD spectra resulted from the plasma treatment. The structural changes were regarded as conformational adaptability. [source] Spheroidization of Titanium Carbide Powders by Induction Thermal Plasma ProcessingJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 9 2001Ya-Li Li Highly spherical particles of titanium carbide (TiC) have been produced by in-flight heat processing of irregularly shaped TiC powders in an aerosol reactor under argon-hydrogen and argon-helium induction thermal plasma. The spherical powders obtained by the plasma treatment consist of unagglomerated and uniform particles with mean diameters between 25 and 28.5 ,m, which is smaller than the original TiC particle mean diameters (29.5 ,m) because of partial evaporation of the particles during the plasma treatment. The spheroidization ratio of the treated TiC powders increases with the increase of hydrogen flow rate in plasma gases and the reduction of powder feeding carrier gas flow rate. Under certain processing conditions, the TiC powders have been completely spheroidized. The morphology and structure of individual spherical particles were examined and their formation mechanism was discussed based on calculation of heat transfer kinetics of the particles in the thermal plasma. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||