Barrier plasma polymers

Water vapor and solvent barrier properties of plasma polymers were investigated. The application of plasma polymers on copper corrosion protection or passivation was also performed. The objective was to examine fundamental factors which affect the transport characteristics of plasma polymers and thus the performance of plasma polymers in terms of barrier coatings.; Optimum discharge energy densities were found which provided the greatest reduction in water vapor permeability for perfluorocarbon plasma polymers deposited on low-density polyethylene. Although all of the plasma polymers showed higher water contact angles than that of polyethylene, the reduction in water vapor permeability was not uniquely related to water contact angle. To the contrary, a surface showing very high water contact angles exhibited less resistance to water vapor permeation. Dynamics of plasma polymer surfaces were the predominant factor in determining the water vapor permeation (WVP) resistance of plasma polymers. The extent of change in the surface configuration after water immersion strongly correlated with the improvement in the water vapor permeation resistance. Plasma polymers with more surface dynamic stability provided a superior barrier coating to water vapor permeation. The optimum plasma deposition parameters, manifested by the discharge energy density, W/FM values, which led to the highest WVP resistance also produced the minimum change in surface configuration change due to water immersion.; Solvent weight-loss data are reported for n-hexane/high-density polyethylene bottle system. The effects of plasma modification of the bottle inner surface were investigated. The lowest permeation reduction factor of 0.03 was obtained with {dollar}rm Csb2Hsb2{dollar} plasma polymerization at high energy level and followed by acrylic acid polymerization at low energy level. A combination of improved surface polarity and tightness of the surface was responsible for such remarkable reduction in the permeation rate.; The combination of visual and scanning electron microscopy observations established general trends in the behavior of the plasma polymer coating for Cu corrosion protection in accelerated wet/dry corrosion testing environment containing 0.1 N chloride ions. DC anodic magnetron glow discharge offered the best Cu corrosion protection due to an enhanced uniformity and tightness of the deposited plasma polymers. No corrosion was observed after 25 wet/dry cycle accelerated corrosion tests when uncoated Cu suffered a severely generalized attack in one cycle. Superior corrosion protection was also performed by AF plasma polymerized coatings of {dollar}rm Csb4Fsb{lcub}10{rcub}+Hsb2{dollar} (1:1) at lower energy put, and of methane at high energy input and with greater thickness carried out in the range of this study. The application of plasma polymers which had high water vapor permeation resistance and surface dynamic stability greatly reduced the pitting densities.