Melamine Formaldehyde Particles Research Articles

Spontaneous convective pattern formation in a dusty plasma

We report on experimental observations of self-sustaining convective patterns in a dusty plasma system. The experiments are carried out in a capacitively coupled radio frequency (RF) argon plasma discharge in which a dusty plasma is produced by introducing micrometer-sized melamine formaldehyde particles. A self-sustained pair of convective cells with opposite vorticities is seen to appear in a lateral view of the system, beyond some threshold values of the background gas pressure and RF power. Particle tracking velocimetry measurements reveal the existence of a dust temperature gradient that is responsible for the convective counter-rotating patterns. The origin of the kinetic temperature gradient in the absence of any external heat source is attributed to the larger ion flux induced heating of the bottom layer of the dust cloud. The velocity and vorticity of the particles in the convective cell increase with an increase in the vertical kinetic temperature gradient. The experimental results compare reasonably well with the findings of molecular dynamics simulations of the laboratory system.

Experimental validation of the analytic model for the temporal decay of the density auto-correlation function in a strongly coupled dusty plasma

In a recent theoretical work [Dhaka et al. Sci. Rep. 12, 21883 (2022)], the method of determining the transport coefficients of a system from the time dynamics of the density auto-correlation function (DAF) was extended to complex plasma systems using the framework of a generalized hydrodynamics model. An exact analytical form of the density auto-correlation function of the thermal level spontaneous fluctuations of a Yukawa system was obtained. In the present work, we provide the first experimental validation of this analytical model for a strongly coupled dusty plasma system. The dusty plasma is produced by introducing micron-sized melamine formaldehyde particles in radio frequency argon discharges, and the DAF of the spontaneous dust density fluctuations is determined by optically tracking the trajectories of the dust particles. The experimentally obtained DAF is found to show a trend that is consistent with our earlier theoretical and numerical predictions. It is further used to determine the microscopic rate of heat diffusion for various values of the fluctuation wave-number k and obtain an extrapolated value of the macroscopic heat diffusion rate in the limit k →0. The experimental validation lends strong support to our generalized theoretical model, which can be usefully employed now in a variety of strongly coupled systems.

Structural transformation of dusty plasma crystal in dc discharge plasma by changing confinement ring bias

We report an experimental study of the structural transition of a stable complex plasma crystal to a solid-liquid phase coexistence by the controlled adjustment of the confinement potential, while keeping all other parameters constant. The experiments are carried out on a tabletop linear dusty plasma experimental device, which consists of a circular powered electrode and an extended grounded cathode plate. A stationary crystal of melamine formaldehyde particles is formed in a background of argon plasma inside a confining ring that is isolated from the cathode by a ceramic cover. The stable crystal structure breaks in the core region and transitions to a coexistent state by carefully changing the confining potential, thereby modifying the sheath structure. The transition is confirmed by evaluating the variation in different characteristic parameters such as the pair correlation function, local bond order parameter, and dust kinetic temperature as a function of confining bias potential. It is found that melting in the core is due to the onset of dust fluctuations in the layers beneath the topmost layer, which grow in amplitude as the confining bias potential is reduced below a threshold value. The present technique of changing confinement provides a unique feature to study structural transitions of plasma crystals without affecting the overall plasma parameters. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Self-excited converging shock structure in a complex plasma medium.

We report the study of a self-excited converging shock structure observed in a complex plasma medium. A high-density dust cloud of melamine formaldehyde particles is created and horizontally confined by a circular ring in a dc glow discharge plasma at a particular discharge voltage and pressure. Later, as the discharge voltage is increased, a circular density crest is spontaneously generated around the outer boundary of the dust cloud. This nonlinear density structure is seen to propagate inward towards the center of the dust cloud. The properties of the excited structure are analyzed and found to follow the characteristics of a converging shock structure. A three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulation has also been performed in which a stable dust cloud is formed and levitated by the balance of forces due to gravity and an external electric field mimicking the cathode sheath electric field in the experiment. Particles are also horizontally confined by an external electric field, representing the sheath electric field of the circular ring present in the experiment. A circular shock structure has been excited by applying an external perturbation in the horizontal electric field around the outer boundary of the dust cloud. The characteristic properties of the shock are analyzed in the simulation and qualitatively compared with the experimental findings. This paper is not only of fundamental interest but has many implications concerning the study of converging shock waves excited in other media for various potential applications.

Degradation of the Surfaces of Melamine Formaldehyde Particles in Dusty Plasma in Neon and Krypton

Degradation of the Surfaces of Melamine Formaldehyde Particles in Dusty Plasma in Neon and Krypton

Modification and Mass Loss of Melamine Formaldehyde Particles in Dusty Plasma Formed in Heavy Noble Gas

Modification and Mass Loss of Melamine Formaldehyde Particles in Dusty Plasma Formed in Heavy Noble Gas

Particle Surface Modification in the Near-Electrode Region of an RF Discharge.

The results of a study on particles’ surfaces after being exposed to the near-electrode region of a radio frequency (RF) discharge are presented. It was experimentally displayed that metal starts being deposited on the surface of particles levitating above the lower electrode of the discharge chamber after switching the RF discharge on. For melamine-formaldehyde (MF) particles, the appearance of an island metal coating is observed after 30 min of plasma exposure. Eroded electrodes and elements of the gas discharge chamber may serve as a source of deposited material. In addition, an analysis of the surface and composition of particles placed on the upper electrode after 6 h of plasma exposure is presented. We reveal that the composition and structure of the particle coating changes during the experiment. The MF particles under exposure become eroded, and needle-like structures containing metals are formed on their surface. We also observe the formation of columnar structures from the products of erosion of electrodes on particles with a metal coating.

Investigation of the IR absorption of trapped MF particles in a dusty plasma

Infrared IR absorption spectra of melamine-formaldehyde (MF) microparticles confined in an rf plasma are studied at different plasma conditions. Several absorption peaks have been analysed in dependence of plasma power and their temporal evolution. For comparison, the IR absorption spectra of heated MF microparticles without plasma exposition are used to determine the general influence of the temperature on the IR spectra. Measuring the temperature of the particles inside the plasma shows that the temperature is not the only process changing the particles’ IR spectra. Chemical changes of the MF particles with increasing plasma power influence the absorption peak structure.

Rotation of dust particles in an inhomogeneous weak magnetic field in a DC glow discharge

We report an explanation for the opposite direction of the rotation of the charged dust particles above and below the Helmholtz coil in an inhomogeneous weak magnetic field in the direct current glow discharge. Experiments with monodispersed melamine-formaldehyde particles were performed in an argon plasma in an inhomogeneous weak magnetic field (with the induction values 4, 12, and 18 mT). The linear and angular velocities of rotational motion of the clusters of dust particles formed in regions with an inhomogeneous weak magnetic field above and below the Helmholtz coil were analyzed. The peculiarity is that the directions of rotation in these areas are opposite, whereas there is no rotational motion in the region of a uniform magnetic field. To explain these observations, the theoretical model that takes into account the magnetic field inhomogeneity and provides good agreement with experimental data is presented.

Dynamic Effects of Laser Action on Quasi-Two-Dimensional Dusty Plasma Systems of Charged Particles.

We present the results of an experimental study of the behavior of a colloidal plasma system formed by copper-coated and uncoated polymer particles under the action of laser irradiation. A comparative study of particle velocity distribution profiles depending on the power of the pushing laser was conducted. In the case of uncoated melamine-formaldehyde (MF) particles, we observed the well-known action of light pressure, causing shear stress in the colloidal plasma structure and leading to the occurrence of a laminar flow within the affected area. For the copper-coated MF particles, we revealed some additional patterns of behavior for the dust particles, i.e., kinetic temperature growth due to laser radiation absorption by the copper coating, as well as the appearance of chaotic particle motion. We believe that this happens due to the existence of defects in the coating, causing asymmetric heating of the particles, which in turn leads to chaotic deviations of the photophoretic force pushing the particles in different directions.

About the mechanism of modification of melamine formaldehyde particles in dusty plasmas

The article presents the previously obtained results of the modification of spherical microparticles of melamine-formaldehyde injected as a dust component of complex plasma formed in stratified glow discharge in neon. Particular attention is paid to changing the particle size depending on the residence time in the plasma. A mechanism is proposed for heating particles by ion flow sustaining a stable charge of their surface. Calculations of the heat balance are presented, confirming the results obtained in the experiment.

Sacrificial template synthesis of hierarchical nickel hydroxidenitrate hollow colloidal particles for electrochemical energy storage

Synthesis of hollow colloidal particles with a well-defined structure in a single step is challenging and highly desired for numerous applications. We propose a simple and productive approach to synthesize hierarchical nickel hydroxidenitrate hollow colloidal particles (NiHNHCP) with tunable structure and property via a one-pot manner for the application in supercapacitor. In this approach, the formation of the NiHN shells and the dissolution of the melamine-formaldehyde (MF) template particles occur simultaneously and successively under a solvothermal condition with time. It is found that the nickel precursors can protonate the solvent, declining the pH and further causing the dissolution of the MF particles. Meanwhile, the nickel precursors transform into NiHN nanosheets that self-assemble into hierarchical shells exclusively at the surface of the MF particles. With the reactions proceeding, the NiHNHCP are yielded ultimately. These NiHNHCP are characterized with superior electrochemical performance, making them practically useful in the application of supercapacitor.

High Permittivity CaCu3Ti4O12 Particle‐Induced Internal Polarization Amplification for High Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators

AbstractHere, a composite material based on the butylated melamine formaldehyde (BMF) and high permittivity CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) particles as a triboelectric dielectric material for stable high output triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is proposed. CCTO particles, which have the high permittivity of 7500, can potentially result in the formation of strong internal polarization into the dielectric material under the electric field from triboelectric charges. As a consequence, the charge induction on the bottom electrode is enhanced thereby increasing the triboelectric output performance. A rotation‐type freestanding mode TENG based on BMF–CCTO 1 wt% composite material demonstrates high performance power output of a root‐mean‐square voltage and current density with 268 V and 25.8 mA m−2, respectively. The strategy of incorporating the high permittivity CCTO particles can be universally applied to any triboelectric polymer matrix in order to enhance the output performance of TENGs.

Measurement of temperature of a dusty plasma from its configuration

AbstractA new concept called “configurational temperature” is introduced in the context of dusty plasma, where the temperature of the dust particles submerged in the plasma can be measured directly from the positional information of the individual dust particles and the interaction potential between the dust grains. This method does not require the velocity information of individual particles, which is a key parameter to measure the dust temperature in the conventional method. The technique is initially tested using two‐dimensional (2D) OpenMP parallel molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation and then compared with the temperature evaluated from experimental data. The experiment have been carried out in the Dusty Plasma Experimental (DPEx) device, where a 2D stationary plasma crystal of melamine formaldehyde particles is formed in the cathode sheath of a DC glow discharge argon plasma. The kinetic temperature of the dust is calculated using the standard particle image velocimetry technique at different pressures. An extended simulation result for the three‐dimensional case is also presented, which can be employed for the temperature measurement of a three‐dimensional dust crystal in laboratory devices.

Experimental investigation of test particle induced micro-structural changes in a finite two-dimensional complex plasma crystal

The microstructural changes induced in a two dimensional complex plasma crystal by the movement of a single extra particle existing below it are investigated experimentally using a DC glow discharge device. The finite monolayer crystal consisting of monodispersive melamine formaldehyde particles is created in the background of an Argon plasma. The crystal formation is frequently found to be accompanied by the presence of one or more slightly heavier particles suspended a little below the monolayer. The interplay of one such test particle with the crystal is investigated for two distinct cases—(i) when the particle remains confined (trapped) in the space below the crystal and (ii) when it interacts for a short while with the crystal and then moves out of the vicinity. The trapped particle orbit induces permanent structural changes in the crystal in the form of microcracks, and these changes are identified using a variety of diagnostic analyses. The cracks can be enhanced by energizing the test particle with an incident laser. The passing particle, on the other hand, induces only transient changes in the crystal from which it is able to recover and return to its initial state in a clear demonstration of the viscoelastic property of a strongly coupled system.

Melting transition of two-dimensional complex plasma crystal in the DC glow discharge

The formation of self-consistent dust crystal and its melting is a well- known phenomenon in rf generated plasmas but remains challenging in DC glow discharge plasmas. Here, we report the melting of a two- dimensional dusty plasma crystal, suspended in the cathode sheath of a DC glow discharge plasma. The experiments are carried out in a Dusty Plasma Experimental (DPEx) device which consists of a circular powered electrode and an extended grounded cathode tray. A stationary crystal of melamine formaldehyde particles is formed in a background of Argon plasma between a pair of confining strips that are placed on the cathode. The stable structure breaks and transition to a fluid state when the neutral pressure is reduced. The neutral pressure range where this melting transition is observed is an order of magnitude less than what is typically reported in rf discharge plasma. The transition is confirmed by evaluating the variation in different characteristic parameters such as the pair correlation function, Voronoi diagram, local bond order parameter, defect fraction and dust kinetic temperature as a function of background neutral pressure. For instance, the average bond order parameter (Ψ6) reduces from 0.87 to 0.4 when the neutral pressure is reduced from 15 to 11 Pa. The asymmetry of the electrode is a special feature that is believed to enable the formation of the plasma crystal.

Homogeneous, monodispersed furan-melamine particles performing reversible binding and forming networks

Homogeneous and monodispersed furan-functionalised melamine-formaldehyde particles were produced. As a precursor, 2-chloro-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine (Mel) was selectively substituted with 2-aminomethyl furan (Fu) units in a convenient one step reaction. The pure reaction product Fu-Mel, which was used without further purification, was reacted with formaldehyde by conventional sol-gel condensation in aqueous medium to yield chemically homogenous, spherically shaped and monodispersed particles. The particles were analysed using ATR-FT-IR, Raman, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, TGA, SEM and DSC measurements. The reactivity of the furan groups located at the particle surface was studied by performing a thermoreversible Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction with bis-maleimide coupling agents. The formed networks showed thermoreversible behaviour, which was characterised by dynamic IR and DSC measurements.

Modification of microparticles due to intense laser manipulation

Single micron-sized melamine-formaldehyde particles are levitated in the sheath of an rf-plasma and exposed to an intense laser beam, while being trapped in optical tweezers. A reversible change in the particles' properties is observed and quantitatively analyzed using reference particles. The investigations indicate a gain in particle charge where the initial charge restores within minutes. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.

Photophoretic force measurement on microparticles in binary complex plasmas

This article presents a method to measure the photophoretic force on microparticles in complex plasmas. A laser heating setup is used to increase the kinetic temperatures of binary mixtures composed of melamine-formaldehyde (MF) and silica (SiO2) particles. The temperature gain of both particle species due to the additional thermal reservoir is compared to a laser force model. Contributions of radiation pressure and photophoretic forces are determined through a variation of neutral gas pressure and application of Lorenz-Mie theory. The photophoretic force is found to be significant for MF particles at typical conditions in complex plasma experiments.

Furan-functionalised melamine-formaldehyde particles performing Diels-Alder reactions

Functionalised particles are highly requested in materials research, as they can be used as vital components in many advanced applications such as smart materials, functional coatings, drug carrier systems or adsorption materials. In this study, furan-functionalised melamine-formaldehyde (MF) particles were successfully prepared for the first time using an organic sol-gel process. Commercially available 2-Aminomethylfuran (AMF) and 2-Aminomethyl-5-methylfuran (AMMF) were used as modifying agents. In the isolated polymer particles, a melamine (M) to modifying agent ratio of M:AMF mol/mol 2.04:1 and M:AMMF ratio of mol/mol 1.25:1 was used. The obtained particles were isolated in various centrifugation and re-dispersion cycles and analysed using ATR-FT-IR, Raman and solid state 13C NMR spectroscopy, TGA, SEM and DSC measurements. Upon functionalisation the size of the MF particles increased (MF 1.59 µm, 27% CV (coefficient of variation); MF-AMF 2.56 µm, 25% CV; MF-AMMF 2.20 µm, 35% CV). DSC measurements showed that another type of exothermic residual reactivity besides condensation-based curing takes place with the furan-modified particles that is not related to the liberation of volatile compounds. The newly obtained particles are able to undergo Diels-Alder reactions with maleimide groups. The characteristic IR and Raman absorbance bands of the reaction products after the particles were reacted with 4,4′-Diphenylmethanebismaleimide reagent confirm the formation of a Diels-Alder adduct.