Low Water Vapor Transmission Rate Research Articles

The origin of low water vapor transmission rates through Al2O3/ZrO2 nanolaminate gas-diffusion barriers grown by atomic layer deposition

This paper reports on thin film gas-diffusion barriers consisting of Al2O3/ZrO2 nanolaminates (NL) grown by low-temperature (80 °C) atomic layer deposition. We show that reliable barriers with water vapor transmission rates of 3.2×10−4 g/(m2 day), measured at 80 °C and 80% relative humidity, can be realized with very thin layers down to 40 nm. We determine that ZrO2 acts as anticorrosion element in our NL. Furthermore, we demonstrate by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy that an aluminate phase is formed at the interfaces between Al2O3 and ZrO2 sublayers, which additionally improves the gas-diffusion barrier due to a densification of the layer system. These Al2O3/ZrO2 NLs prepared at low temperatures hold considerable promises for application in organic electronics and beyond.

Extraction and characterization of pectin on green cincau (Premna oblongifolia) in edible film production

Rachmawati AK, Anandito RBK, Manuhara GJ. 2010. Extraction and characterization of pectin on green cincau (Premna oblongifolia) in edible film production. Biofarmasi 8: 1-10. The use of green cincau pectin was presumed to influence the result of edible film characteristics, i.e. thickness, solvability, elongation, tensile strength, and water vapour transmission (WVTR). The aims in this research were: (i) to find out the chemical characteristics of green cincau pectin on the physical (thickness and solvability) and mechanical properties (elongation and tensile strength), (ii) to determine the edible film inhibition of green cincau pectin against the water vapour transmission rate, and (iii) to find out the edible film capability in inhibiting the weight loss on green grape by wrapping and coating method. The five major steps in this research were material preparation (making green cincau powder and pectin extraction), the characterization of extraction result pectin, making edible film, edible film characterization, and edible film application. This research used a completely randomized design with twice replications in edible film making for each treatment concentration and twice replication for edible film characteristic testing in each edible film making replication. Variance analysis was used to analyze data, if there was a significant difference, it will be continued with a Duncan Multiple Range Test at a significance level of 0.05. The yield of green cincau powder and pectin were 27.5% and 15.2%, respectively. The extraction result pectin consisted of 5.09% water, 11.06% protein, 0.35% fat, 28.5% ash, 55.00% carbohydrate (by different), and 12.15% crude fiber. The increasing of pectin concentration tends to increase the thickness and tensile strength, but reduced the water vapour transmission rate. The lowest water vapour transmission rate occurred at the edible film with 30% pectin concentration. Its water vapour transmission rate was 0.317 g.mm/m2.hour. The green grape weight loss with a wrapping method was 0.0212 g/hour, and the green grape weight loss with a coating method was 0.0634 g/hour.

Permeabilities of Inorganic Thin Composite (Sio2)1-X(Zno)X Films Prepared by RF-magnetron Sputtering Method

Diatomic inorganic films of SiO2 and ZnO and their composite films were prepared by the RF-magnetron sputtering to investigate their permeabilities. The Ca cells tested in the atmosphere resulting in a gradual progress of transparency in the passivated Ca cells, which was represented by changes of the optical transmission spectrum. Comparing the saturation times for Ca cells to become completely transparent, the protection effects against water vapor were evaluated for various passivation films. The (SiO2)1−x(ZnO)x films were found to show a superior protection effect, in this study, we investigate the dependence of the composition ratio on the permeability of the (SiO2)1−x(ZnO)x films with a low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) as a gas barrier layer for flexible displays. And an extremely low WVTR less than 10−3 g/m2/day was obtained in the (SiO2)1−x(ZnO)x(x=0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 at.%) films with high packing density and polarizability.

Reduction of Defects in SiOx Vapor Permeation Barriers on Polymer Substrates by Introducing a Sputtered Interlayer

This paper investigated the water-vapor permeability of silicon oxide (SiOx) barriers grown on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The water-vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of granular-type SiOx barriers is dependent upon the density of microscopic pinholes in the barriers. A two-step hybrid process, consisting of (i) a sputtering stage for 10-nm-thick Al2O3 interlayer growth and (ii) a subsequent PECVD stage for thicker SiOx film growth, was proposed in this study. Granules and pinholes in SiOx barriers were simultaneously eliminated by introducing an Al2O3 interlayer on the PET surface prior to the SiOx PECVD process. Plasma-induced reconstruction of PET surfaces was prevented by applying a reactive sputtering process to grow the Al2O3 interlayer. High-quality barriers were developed from SiOx growth on the sputtered interlayer. Low WVTR values in the range of 10-3 g m-2 d-1 were recorded in tests using a MOCON instrument. The WVTR was two orders of magnitude smaller than that of conventional SiOx barriers directly grown on PET substrates without the Al2O3 interlayer.

Hydrophobic nanopatterning on a flexible gas barrier film by using a poly(dimethylsiloxane)elastomer

In this work, we fabricated a hydrophobic and transparent gas barrier film via ananopatterned poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomer imprinting on an ultraviolet-curablepolymer resin. A Ca degradation method (water permeation rate) and surfaceenergy measurements were used to determine the level of modification of thesurface characteristics. As a result, the decreased surface energy from 25.8 to7.29 mN m−1 led to a lower water vapor transmission rate from3.06 × 10−1 to 6.24 × 10−2 g m−2 day−1 according to the degree of decreased Ca height from 100 nm. A tunable wettability isbeneficial for application where controlling the direction of moisture flow is important, suchas in flexible organic electronics.

Characterization of composite edible film from glucomanan of iles-iles (Amorphopallus muelleri) tuber and cornstarch

Siswanti, Anandito RBK, Manuhara GJ. 2009. Characterization of composite edible film from glucomanan of iles-iles (Amorphopallus muelleri) tuber and cornstarch. Biofarmasi 7: 10-21. The use of glucomanan and cornstarch flour combination is presumed to produce a strong but elastic edible film as well as to have a lower permeability to H2O. The objectives of this research were: (i) to find out the characteristic of glucomanan resulted from extraction, (ii) to find out the effect of glucomanan resulted from extraction on the physical (thickness and solvability) and mechanical (elongation and tensile strength) properties, as well as edible film inhibition of glucomanan-maizena combination against the water vapour transmission rate, (iii) to find out the edible film capability in inhibiting the apple weight loss through wrapping method, and (iv) to find out the edible film capability in inhibiting the apple weight loss and browning through coating method. This research consisted of six major steps, i.e. material storage, glucomanan extraction, glucomanan characterization, edible film preparation, edible film characterization, and edible film application. In this research, a completely random design was used with two replications in preparing edible film for each treatment of glucomanan concentration and two replications for the edible film characterization testing for each film preparation replication. The data obtained was analyzed for variance, if there was a difference, it was followed with Duncan Multiple Range Test at a significance level of 0.05. The rendemen of iles-iles flour and glucomanan were 15% and 9.88%, respectively. The glucomanan resulted from isolation consisted of 9.78% water, 1.54% N, 0.41% fat, 3.40% ash, 0.55% crude fibre and 84.87% carbohydrate. The increased glucoman concentration tended to increase the thickness, solvability, tensile strength, and elongation of edible film, but it decreased the water vapour transmission rate. The lowest water vapour transmission rate was occured at the edible film with glucoman addition of 15%. The apple pieces weight loss with wrapping method was about 0.0885 g/hour. In coating method, the best result was obtained from composite film of glucomanancornstarch 15%, because of having the lowest weight loss of 0.0597 g/hour and indifferent color brightness of apple until the third-day observation.

Thin film encapsulation of DSSCs on plastic substrate

Aluminum oxynitride (AlO x N y ) films were deposited on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates using a reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system by varying the nitrogen flow rate. Experimental results show that the AlO x N y films deposited on PEN substrate exhibit a pebble-like surface morphology. The deposition rate decreases slightly upon increasing the nitrogen flow rate. The surface roughness of the deposited AlO x N y films also decreases upon increasing the nitrogen flow rate. The AlO x N y film deposited at a nitrogen flow rate of 15 sccm exhibited the lowest water vapor transmission rate of 0.02 g/m 2·day. Meanwhile, the passivation of AlO x N y films can effectively improve the long-term stability of plastic DSSC. Their power conversion efficiency can sustain 50% of the initial values even after 300 h.

Surface modification layer deposition on flexible substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition using tetramethylsilane–oxygen gas mixture

Silicon-containing thin films were synthesized from a tetramethylsilane (TMS)–oxygen gas mixture by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition to modify the surface properties of a flexible plastic substrate. The surface wettability was strongly correlated with the presence of hydrocarbon- and hydroxyl-related bonds in the films. The presence of inorganic Si–O–Si networks in the deposited film, originating from an additional oxygen reactant in the glow discharge, significantly increased plastic substrate hardness. Surface uniformity of the inorganic SiOx film varied with mechanical hardness. All such properties were degraded by increased oxygen ion bombardment during the deposition. Additionally, the atomic ratios of O to Si in the deposited films increased at a rate proportional to the oxygen reactant in the gas mixture and brought about a reduction in the optical refractive index. The hard coatings prepared using the TMS–oxygen gas mixture effectively reduced the permeability of the plastic substrate to water vapour. A low water vapour transmission rate was achieved using the film with a high packing density under adequate oxygen ion bombardment.

Water vapour transmission in butadiene–MMA–methacrylic acid latex films

Batch emulsion copolymerizations of butadiene, methyl methacrylate (MMA), methacrylic acid (MAA) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate were performed in RC1e reactor, and the product vulcanized to form a film typical of those used for barrier products (gloves and condoms). The water vapour transmission (WVT) or breathability and physical properties (such as tensile strength and elongation at break) of the films were measured. Factorial design was used to vary the concentration of monomers in the copolymerizations. Methacrylic acid is a hydrophilic monomer and its distribution in or on the particles would be expected to affect WVT. Characterization by ultracentrifugation, nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy showed that most of the methacrylic acid units were buried inside the particles. This appears to be responsible for a relatively low WVT rate, probably due to the absence of hydrophilic (MAA-rich) domains inside the film. When centrifuged, the latex shows two particle-containing layers; characterization of the latex revealed the presence of MMA-rich domains in one layer, probably arising from secondary particle formation late in the polymerization. The butadiene-to-MMA ratio probably dominates tensile strength through vulcanization with sulfur. The elongation at break was independent of both the butadiene-to-MMA ratio and the MAA concentration over the range studied (ascribed to competing effects), but dependent upon the total crosslinker concentration.

Characteristics of Transparent SiNx Thin-Film Passivation Layer Grown by CECVD for Top-Emitting OLEDs

The characteristics of a passivation layer grown by a specially designed catalyzer-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CECVD) system for top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (TOLEDs) were investigated. Using a tungsten catalyzer connected in series, a high-density passivation layer with high transmittance was deposited on TOLEDs at a substrate temperature of . Even at low substrate temperature, 150 nm thick passivation layer prepared by CECVD exhibited a low water vapor transmission rate of 2–. In addition, it was found that the transmittance of film at was significantly influenced by the hydrogen flow rate. Current density-voltage-luminescence results of TOLEDs passivated with a thick film indicated that the electrical and optical properties of TOLEDs were not affected by the high temperature tungsten catalyzer during the deposition. The lifetime to half initial luminance of a TOLED passivated with a thick layer was much longer than that of a nonpassivated reference sample. This shows that the CECVD is a promising plasma free thin-film passivation technique for high-performance TOLEDs and flexible displays.

Composite Films from Pectin and Fish Skin Gelatin or Soybean Flour Protein

Composite films were prepared from pectin and fish skin gelatin (FSG) or pectin and soybean flour protein (SFP). The inclusion of protein promoted molecular interactions, resulting in a well-organized homogeneous structure, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy and fracture-acoustic emission analysis. The resultant composite films showed an increase in stiffness and strength and a decrease in water solubility and water vapor transmission rate, in comparison with films cast from pectin alone. The composite films inherited the elastic nature of proteins, thus being more flexible than the pure pectin films. Treating the composite films with glutaraldehyde/methanol induced chemical cross-linking with the proteins and reduced the interstitial spaces among the macromolecules and, consequently, improved their mechanical properties and water resistance. Treating the protein-free pectin films with glutaraldehyde/methanol also improved the Young's modulus and tensile strength, but showed little effect on the water resistance, because the treatment caused only dehydration of the pectin films and the dehydration is reversible. The composite films were biodegradable and possessed moderate mechanical properties and a low water vapor transmission rate. Therefore, the films are considered to have potential applications as packaging or coating materials for food or drug industries.

High-quality thin-film passivation by catalyzer-enhanced chemical vapor deposition for organic light-emitting diodes

The thin-film passivation of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by a SiNx film grown by catalyzer-enhanced chemical vapor deposition was investigated. Using a tungsten catalyzer connected in series, a high-density SiNx passivation layer was deposited on OLEDs and bare polycarbonate (PC) substrates at a substrate temperature of 50°C. Despite the low substrate temperature, the single SiNx passivation layer, grown on the PC substrate, exhibited a low water vapor transmission rate of (2–6)×10−2g∕m2∕day and a high transmittance of 87%. In addition, current-voltage-luminescence results of an OLED passivated with a 150-nm-thick SiNx film compared to nonpassivated sample were identical indicating that the performance of an OLED is not critically affected by radiation from tungsten catalyzer during the SiNx deposition. Moreover, the lifetime to half initial luminance of an OLED passivated with the single 150-nm-thick SiNx layer was 2.5 times longer than that of a nonpassivated sample.

Thin film passivation of organic light emitting diodes by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition

The characteristics of an SiN x passivation layer grown by a specially designed inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) system with straight antennas for the top-emitting organic light emitting diodes (TOLEDs) are investigated. Using a high-density plasma on the order of ∼ 10 11 electrons/cm 3 formed by nine straight antennas connected in parallel, a high-density SiN x passivation layer was deposited on a transparent Mg–Ag cathode at a substrate temperature of 40 °C. Even at a low substrate temperature, single SiN x passivation layer prepared by ICP-CVD showed a low water vapor transmission rate of 5 × 10 − 2 g/m 2/day and a transparency of ∼ 85% respectively. In addition, current–voltage–luminescence results of the TOLED passivated by the SiN x layer indicated that the electrical and optical properties of the TOLED were not affected by the high-density plasma during the SiN x deposition process.

Enhancement of Barrier Properties Using Ultrathin Hybrid Passivation Layer for Organic Light Emitting Diodes

The hybrid thin-film (HTF) passivation layer composed of the UV curable acrylate layer and MS-31 (MgO:SiO2=3:1 wt %) layer was adopted in organic light emitting diode (OLED) to protect organic light emitting materials from penetrations of oxygen and water vapors. The moisture resistance of the deposited HTF layer was measured by the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). The results showed that the HTF layer possessed a very low WVTR value of lower than 0.007 g/(m2 ·day) at 37.8 °C and 100% RH. Therefore, the HTF on the OLED was found to be very effective in protect what from the penetrations of oxygen and moisture.

P-64: New UV-Curing OLED Encapsulation Adhesive with Low Water Permeation

The results of a research program for the development of an UV curing epoxy adhesive for the sealing frame of OLED displays with a preferably low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) will be presented. The material was analyzed in substantial lifetime investigations both in calcium mirror tests and in PLED devices under different climatic environments and its capability was verified.

PEMBUATAN EDIBLE FILM DARI TEPUNG KORO BENGUK (Mucuna pruriens C. utillis L. DC)

Edible film was film pack that made from edible substance (carbohidrat, hidrofobic substance, fat, protein) to increase shelflife food product in storage. Edible film could be developed as barrier moisture, gases and solute movement. This research was conducted to make edible film from velvet bean flour (Mucuna pruriens f. utilis L. DC). Data were collected from experiment and analized by the analysis of variance with completely randomized design with 3 x 3 arrangement. The first factor is velvet bean consentration (5%, I 0%, 15% w/v). The second factor is pH (pH 3, pH 6, pH 9). The result of research that consentration of velvet bean had significant effect on thickness, elongation, tensile strength and water vapor transmission rate,While pH had significant on elongation, tensile strength and water vapor transmission rate, but did not have significant on thickness. The combination treatment velvet bean flour in 15% consentration and pH 9 resulted the lowest water vapor transmission rate ( 13,06 g/m2hr), the higest tensile strength (4,61 Mpa), thickness 0, 154 mm and elogation 9 ,22%.

Effects of the Polarizability and Packing Density of Transparent Oxide Films on Water Vapor Permeation

The tin oxide and silicon oxide films have been deposited on polycarbonate substrates as gas barrier films, using a thermal evaporation and ion beam assisted deposition process. The oxide films deposited by ion beam assisted deposition show a much lower water vapor transmission rate than those by thermal evaporation. The tin oxide films show a similar water vapor transmission rate to the silicon oxide films in thermal evaporation but a lower water vapor transmission rate in IBAD. These results are related to the fact that the permeation of water vapor with a large dipole moment is affected by the chemistry of oxides and the packing density of the oxide films. The permeation mechanism of water vapor through the oxide films is discussed in terms of the chemical interaction with water vapor and the microstructure of the oxide films. The chemical interaction of water vapor with oxide films has been investigated by the refractive index from ellipsometry and the OH group peak from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the microstructure of the composite oxide films was characterized using atomic force microscopy and a transmission electron microscope. The activation energy for water vapor permeation through the oxide films has also been measured in relation to the permeation mechanism of water vapor. The diffusivity of water vapor for the tin oxide films has been calculated from the time lag plot, and its implications are discussed.

Plasma-deposited silicon oxide barrier films on polyethersulfone substrates: temperature and thickness effects

Silicon oxide (SiO x ) films deposited on flexible polyethersulfone (PES) substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PEVCD) have been investigated for transparent barrier applications. Although the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of PES (∼28 g/m 2/day; thickness: 200 μm) is higher than that of the polyethylene terephthalate (PET; ∼16 g/m 2/day; thickness: 188 μm), the PES substrate can withstand process temperatures of up to 180 °C, providing more flexibility in the design of device processing. Details of the substrate-temperature and film-thickness effects on the SiO x /PES properties in terms of transmittance, refractive index, deposition rate, adhesion, roughness, and WVTR were described. When the substrate temperature increased from 80 to 170 °C, the deposition rate, adhesion, and roughness values were found to increase while the WVTR decreased to a value of near 0.3 g/m 2/day at 150 °C. With increasing the oxide thickness from 50 to 500 nm, the surface roughness increased from 2.71 to 5.84 nm. A lower WVTR value can be achieved under a barrier thickness of 200 nm. Further improvement was carried out by depositing a 100-nm-thick SiO x film on both sides of the PES substrate, which resulted in a minimum WVTR of 0.1 g/m 2/day. The double-sided coatings on PES could balance the stress and greatly improve the WVTR data.

The Use of Aqueous‐based Emulsion Polymers as Moisture Barrier Coatings for Carton Boards

AbstractThe rate of moisture permeation through paper carton boards can be critical in high peformance packaging applications. Moisture barrier paperboards have been developed using aqueous‐based emulsion polymers, and the results obtained with these materials are presented. These polymers include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC), and styrene‐based emulsions. A range of these coated carton boards were prepared using a hand coater to achieve a controlled range of barrier layer thickness (6–100 microns). Water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) analysis was carried out on these coated boards over a range of temperatures and relative humidities. In addition, some boards were precoated with a primer coat before the application of the barrier topcoat in order to investigate the effect of carton board topography on the moisture barrier properties. Low WVTRs in the range of 3–10 g/(m2 day) were achieved using several of the emulsion polymers. It is clearly shown that pre‐coating the surface of a board with aprimer before applying a barrier coat can lower the WVTR further even with a thinner overall layer of coating. Analysis also illustrated that boards coated on one side exhibited anisotropic characteristics, with lower WVTRs always being achieved when the coated side of the board is adjacent to the higher humidity.

Hydrophobicity and Water Vapor Permeability of Ethylene-plasma-coated Whey, Chitosan and Starch Films

Water vapor transmission rate was measured on uncoated and ethyfeae-plasma-coated whey (65-93.5% whey protein), on chitosan and starch films and on aluminum-coated chitosan. Surface hydrophobicity was assessed by contact angle measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize the coatings. The water vapor transmission rate through the uncoated polymer films was highest for starch and lowest for chitosan. Whey showed intermediate water permeability, with the sample containing 65% whey-protein having the lowest water vapor transmission rate. An improvement in water vapor barrier properties was observed only for the aluminum-coated sample and not for any of the polyethylene-coated samples. It is observed that the penetrating water caused the substrate to swell and the polyethylene coating layer to crack. According to profilometry, the thickness of the polyethylene coating layer was 0.1-1 μm after 15 min exposure time. The coating was hydrophobic and contained almost exclusively carbons typical of linear or crosslinked hydrocarbons. It is suggested that the observed decrease in hydrophobicity with time during the contact angle measurements is due to the reorientation at the surface of carbonyls present in small amounts in the coating.