In this study, nano-silica thin films were deposited on the surface of polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabric (NWF) by reactive magnetron sputtering with a mixture of argon and oxygen gases to improve the hydrophilicity of the materials. The effects of process parameters, including oxygen gas concentration, treatment time, and density of the sample on the resulting hydrophilicity of the fabricated product were measured in terms of relative weight increase caused by the adsorption of water and water contact angle. The results indicated that the PP NWF modified by reactive magnetron sputtering at an oxygen gas concentration of 40%, a treatment time of 20 min, and a density less than 500 g/m 2 showed improved hydrophilicity. In addition, the surface morphology and chemical composition of the treated samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. It was determined that the silicon dioxide nanoparticles were evenly deposited on the surface of fibres.
Carbon fiber is an absorbing material with high strength, acid and alkali resistance, high temperature resistance, flexibility, and processability and plays an important role in the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption of civil buildings and military equipment.
Based on coordination bond theory, the current study proposes a novel method to modify the surface of the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micropowders. The samples were treated with trimethyl borate in the n‐hexane solution, and this improves the hydrophilic and adhesive properties of PTFE micropowders. The surface properties of treated samples were evaluated by using X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry, contact angle measurement, settling velocity measurement, and adhesive property measurement. Trimethyl borate treatment led to an evident increase in the hydrophilic and adhesive properties of PTFE micropowders. The water contact angle of PTFE micropowders decreased from 115° to 85.4°, while the ethanol contact angle of PTFE micropowders decreased from 39.8° to 11.2° owing to the combination of the trimethyl borate with PTFE micropowders as indicated by the X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry spectra. Furthermore, the settling velocity of powders dispersed in ethanol/water (1/10) solution (pH = 8.5) improved (with a settlement ratio exceeding 20% in 60 minutes), and the fracture stress of the powders/resin composite membrane increased from 4.68 to 6.67 MPa while the elongation at the yield of membrane increased from 25.4% to 31.5%.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.