TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of annealing on hydrophobic stability of plasma deposited fluoropolymer coatings
AU - Gnanappa, Arun Kumar
AU - O'Murchu, Cian
AU - Slattery, Orla
AU - Peters, Frank
AU - Aszalós-Kiss, Balázs
AU - Tofail, Syed A.M.
PY - 2008/12
Y1 - 2008/12
N2 - Fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-C:F) films e.g. plasma polymerised perfluorocyclobutane have long attracted much consideration due to their low surface energy, hydrophobicity, low refractive index, good electrical and thermal insulation and good thermal stability. Although a-C:F films have many advantages, hydrophobic stability over time in air and water remains a major concern. In this study, the effects of weathering conditions on the hydrophobicity of fluorocarbon films prepared from perfluorocyclobutane precursors were examined using water contact angle measurements. It was found that the high initial hydrophobicity of as-deposited films degrades rapidly in humid conditions. The stability of hydrophobicity can be significantly improved when a suitable treatment such as annealing is employed. The mechanism of weathering was explained with the help of a number of morphological and chemical characterisation techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). In particular, XPS results demonstrated that a reduction in the overall amount of -CF3 radical, oxygenation of surface fluorides and the formation of an overlayer all influence the degradation of fluorocarbon in aquatic environment.
AB - Fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-C:F) films e.g. plasma polymerised perfluorocyclobutane have long attracted much consideration due to their low surface energy, hydrophobicity, low refractive index, good electrical and thermal insulation and good thermal stability. Although a-C:F films have many advantages, hydrophobic stability over time in air and water remains a major concern. In this study, the effects of weathering conditions on the hydrophobicity of fluorocarbon films prepared from perfluorocyclobutane precursors were examined using water contact angle measurements. It was found that the high initial hydrophobicity of as-deposited films degrades rapidly in humid conditions. The stability of hydrophobicity can be significantly improved when a suitable treatment such as annealing is employed. The mechanism of weathering was explained with the help of a number of morphological and chemical characterisation techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). In particular, XPS results demonstrated that a reduction in the overall amount of -CF3 radical, oxygenation of surface fluorides and the formation of an overlayer all influence the degradation of fluorocarbon in aquatic environment.
KW - Aging
KW - Degradation
KW - Fluorocarbon coatings
KW - Hydrolytic stability
KW - Plasma polymer
KW - Weathering
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=56249095775&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2008.08.012
DO - 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2008.08.012
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:56249095775
SN - 0141-3910
VL - 93
SP - 2119
EP - 2126
JO - Polymer Degradation and Stability
JF - Polymer Degradation and Stability
IS - 12
ER -