Interface Adhesion Property and Laser Ablation Performance of GAP-PET Double-Layer Tape with Plasma Treatment

Abstract

In the field of laser ablation micro-propulsion, the property of double-layer tape has significant impact on the propulsion performance. In this paper, low temperature plasma was used to treat the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to improve its adhesion with energetic polymer. The PET surface pre- and post-plasma treatment was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the enhancement mechanism of the interface adhesion was discussed. In addition, the ablation performance of the double-layer tape after the plasma treatment was studied. The results showed that the plasma etching effect increased the root mean square roughness of the PET surface from 1.74 nm to 19.10 nm. In addition, after the plasma treatment, the number of C–OH/COOH bonds and O=C–O bonds increased, which also greatly improved the adhesion between the PET and energetic polymers. In the optimization of the ablation performance, the optimal laser pulse width was about 200 μs. The optimal values of the specific impulse (Isp), impulse coupling coefficient (Cm), and ablation efficiency (η) were 390.65 s, 250.82 μN/W, and 48.01%, respectively. The optimization of the adhesion of the double-layer tape and the ablation performance lay the foundation for the engineering application of laser ablation micro-thrusters.

Development of a Laser Micro-Thruster and On-Orbit Testing

“…To make the belt, plasma was first used to treat the PET, and then a GAP solution was applied to the PET. Plasma processing effectively increases the binding force and avoids peeling due to ablation, thereby producing a stable impulse [20]. Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the double-layer belt.…”

Special Issue “Dynamics and Processes at Laser-Irradiated Surfaces—A Themed Issue in Honor of the 70th Birthday of Professor Jürgen Reif”

“…Our Special Issue attracted high-quality contributions from both academics and from industry and finally bundles together 1 review paper of Jürgen Reif [ 3 ], 1 perspective article [ 4 ], and 17 original research articles [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. These publications are focusing on the latest achievements in areas of laser–matter interaction [ 16 , 18 , 22 , 23 , 27 , 30 , 31 ], nonlinear optics and photonics [ 22 , 23 , 26 ], spatial beam shaping [ 15 , 28 ], surface dynamics [ 4 , 17 , 22 , 23 ], micro- and nanotechnology [ 16 , 18 , 20 , 24 , 26 , 27 , 31 ], laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) [ 3 , 4 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 27 ,…”