A systematic study has been carried out to develop a material with significant protection properties from galactic cosmic radiation and solar energetic particles. The research focused on the development of hydrogen-rich benzoxazines, which are particularly effective for shielding against such radiation. Newly developed benzoxazine resin can be polymerized at 120 °C, which meets the low-temperature processing requirements for use with ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber, a hydrogen-rich composite reinforcement. This highly reactive benzoxazine resin also exhibits low viscosity and good shelf-life. The structure of the benzoxazine monomer is confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Polymerization behavior and thermal properties are evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Dynamic mechanical analysis is used to study chemorheological properties of the benzoxazine monomer, rheological properties of the cross-linked polybenzoxazine, and rheological properties of UHMWPE-reinforced polybenzoxazine composites. The theoretical radiation shielding capability of the composite is also evaluated using computer-based simulations.

Phenolated lignin was modified with propargyl amine and aniline to benzoxazines, which exhibit high thermal stability and were classified as self-extinguishing.

This study attempts to explore Batch-type Microwave (B-MW) plasma cleaning as a potential alternative to the conventional Strip-type Radiofrequency (S-RF) plasma; for application prior molding to improve adhesion along the mold-lead frame interface. Performance of B-MW was evaluated in terms of improvement in surface wettability, quantified via Contact Angle (CA) measurements. Mix of typical industrial plasma gases (Ar, H2 and O2) were assessed. Constant flow pattern was observed to significantly improve surface wettability and uniformity compared to its pulsed counterpart; and also affect the effect of other factors on the over-all cleaning performance of B-MW. Proceeding with constant flow pattern, surface wetting was found to improve with increasing power and cleaning time. The combination of O2 and H2 plasma was found to be more effective compared to utilizing them separately. Both cleaning time and flow rate increased the amount of reactive species that come in contact with the contaminants. With optimized parameters, B-MW was confirmed to be a more effective plasma method than S-RF i.e. 12% more effective in removing contamination and improving surface wettability, up to 20% better uniformity and can boost throughput to at least 34%.