Spherical Filler Research Articles

Synergistic effect in improving the electrical conductivity in polymer nanocomposites by mixing spherical and rod-shaped fillers.

In this work, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation is adopted to investigate the effect of hybrid fillers [nanospheres (NSs) and nanorods (NRs)] on the conductive probability of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) in the quiescent state and under the shear field. The percolation threshold gradually rises as the volume fraction ratio (α) of NSs to all the fillers increases in the quiescent state. Compared to the NSs, the greater number of beads in the NRs help them connect to other NRs to form the conductive network. Meanwhile, compared to NSs, more NRs participate in building the conductive network. A transition from the synergistic effect to the antagonistic effect occurs as the NS-NR tunneling distance is reduced. Furthermore, the shear field induces a more direct aggregation structure of NSs, which act as linkers between fillers to protect the conductive network. This result is confirmed by the fact that more NSs occupy the conductive network under the shear field. As a result, the percolation threshold declines with increasing shear rate. Finally, compared to in the quiescent state, the percolation threshold increases at α = 0.0 and remains nearly unchanged for α = 0.25 under the shear field, while it gradually decreases for α≥ 0.5. In total, the results further our understanding of how to realize the synergistic effect between NSs and NRs when forming a conductive network of PNCs.

Effect of water-jet flossing on surface roughness and color stability of dental resin-based composites

BackgroundThe purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of water-jet flossing on the color stability and surface roughness of five resin-based composites. Material and MethodsFive commercially available composite resins were studied. Nine disc-shaped specimens (6x2mm) were fabricated from each composite. The specimens were randomly allocated into three groups and three different treatments were performed on each group: storage in water (control group), water-jet flossing using 50 Psi water pressure, and water-jet flossing using 100 Psi water pressure. The water-jet flossing was performed in a standardized manner using a Waterpik® Aquarius® water flosser. Color and roughness were measured at baseline and at the end of 30 minutes of treatment, which is approximately equivalent to 5 years of simulated water-jet flossing for 1 minute once a day. The data were statistically analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni and Tukey’s post-hoc tests. ResultsNo significant color change was found after 5 simulated years of water-jet flossing, irrespective of composite type and water-flossing pressure setting (p > 0.05). Furthermore, none of composite specimens showed any significant surface roughness changes except for the two composites with spherical filler specimens in the 100 Psi treatment group. These composites exhibited a significant increase in surface roughness compared with the nano-filled composite (p = 0.001 and p = 0.006). However, the differences were clinically acceptable (≈0.2 µm). Conclusions In terms of surface roughness and color, water-jet flossing is safe to be used on composite restorations within the settings of this study. Key words:Color difference (∆E), resin composites, surface roughness, water flosser.

Blends of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and stereocomplex polylactide with improved rheological and mechanical properties.

Biodegradable blends of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and stereocomplex polylactide (sc-PLA) were prepared herein via a melt blending method at various sc-PLA loadings. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry results verified that complete stereocomplex polylactide crystallites in the PBAT could be achieved. Scanning electron microscopy observation indicated that sc-PLA was dispersed in the PBAT matrix as spherical particles; the dispersed size of the sc-PLA did not display a pronounced increase once the content of sc-crystallites reached a critical gel point. As solid fillers, sc-PLA could reinforce the PBAT matrix in a relatively wider temperature region and accelerate the non-isothermal crystallization of PBAT. The properties of PBAT were greatly improved after blending with sc-PLA, particularly when a percolation network structure of spherical filler had formed in the blends. In addition, all the blends showed higher yield stresses and moduli than those of the neat PBAT but exhibited reduction in elongations in tensile mechanical tests. These results would be interesting to the industrial polymer materials community, and may be of significant use and importance for the wider practical application of PBAT.

Lattice composites with embedded short carbon fiber/Fe3O4/epoxy hollow spheres for structural performance and microwave absorption

Lightweight absorption materials with superior mechanical properties have received significant attention owing to their potential for use in military stealth and electromagnetic protection applications. Herein, a novel electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing lattice structured composite material containing a hollow short carbon fiber (SCF)/Fe3O4/epoxy sphere filler, and an epoxy resin matrix, is described. The morphology, density, and isostatic compression strength of the hollow SCF/Fe3O4/epoxy spheres were measured, and the mechanical and electromagnetic wave absorption properties of the epoxy resin composite embedded with the hollow SCF/Fe3O4/epoxy spheres were studied. The results indicate that the composite possessed a high compression strength of ~57.3 MPa with a density of only ~0.92 g/cm3. Furthermore, the effective absorption bandwidth within the range of 2–18 GHz of the composite was 1.8 GHz, with an ultra-thin equivalent thickness of only ~0.48 mm. The macro-sized hollow structure spheres were effective EM wave absorption enhancements, and the lattice composite embedded with these hollow spheres presented a unique structure and excellent absorption performance.

Understanding the cavitation and crazing behavior in the polymer nanocomposite by tuning shape and size of nanofiller

It is very crucial to understand the fracture mechanism of the polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) on the molecular level. In this work, the effect of the shape and size of nanofillers on it has been investigated in details by adopting a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. First, the fracture energy of PNCs is found to be much higher for rod fillers than for sheet fillers and sphere fillers. Then it is reduced with increasing the nanofiller size much faster for sphere fillers than for sheet fillers and rod fillers which results from their interface and network. To better understand it, the bond orientation degree is characterized which can reflect the elongation. By calculating the stress contribution of matrix chains and nanofillers, the stress borne by matrix chains gradually decreases with the increase of nanofiller size for sphere fillers and sheet fillers while it is nearly same for rod fillers. In addition, the stress borne by sphere filler is gradually reduced with the nanofiller size while it borne by rod fillers and sheet fillers rises. The former is closely related to the number of the interfacial beads which bear the high stress while the latter is attributed to the stress contribution by the bond/angle energy. Furthermore, the number of voids is quantified which first increases and then decreases with the strain which reflects the generation and coalescence of voids. Meanwhile, the voids prefer to nucleate in the matrix which is a weak region at the strong interfacial interaction. Last, the maximum number of voids gradually increases with the nanofiller size for sphere fillers and sheet fillers while it is nearly unchanged for rod fillers which is consistent with the matrix region. In summary, this work could provide a further understanding how the nanofiller shape affects the fracture properties of PNCs.

Preparation of Ni-based pasty filler and its application in C/C composites brazing

A spherical Ni-based filler metal powder with fine particle size and a uniform distribution was prepared by vacuum melting inert gas atomization method. At the same time, an organic binder carrier suitable for pasty filler metal was prepared. A Ni-based pasty filler was prepared by mixing the filler metal powder with a binder and stirring at a high speed. The C/C composites were jointed using the prepared pasty filler. Subsequently, the strength of the joint was tested, and the interface characteristics of the brazed joint were analyzed by scanning electron microscope, EDS spectrum analyzer, x-ray diffractometer and metallographic microscope. The results show that pasty filler can increase the contact area before brazing, which is beneficial to increase the metallurgical bonding strength of the joint. Under suitable brazing conditions, a gradient buffer structure can be constructed to reduce thermal mismatch and increase joint strength.

Investigation on the three-dimensional magnetized plasma photonic crystals with function dielectric under magneto-optical Faraday effect

In this paper, the dispersion features of three-dimensional (3D) magnetized plasma photonic crystals with function dielectric arranged by the simple-cubic lattices which are called the function magnetized plasma photonic crystals (FMPPCs) are investigated in theory by the plane wave expansion method under the magneto-optical Faraday effect. The configuration of such FMPPCs is that the function dielectric spheres are inserted into the magnetized plasma. The relative dielectric constant of function dielectric sphere is space-depended. The parameters of FMPPCs effects on the photonic band gaps (PBGs) for the right and left circular polarization waves also are studied. The computed results demonstrate that the obtained PBGs can be tailored by those parameters as mentioned above. The larger PBGs can be achieved in the 3D FMPPCs with the spherical filler compared with those FMPPCs with the cubic filler, when their filling factors are same. The right and left circular polarization waves also can be splitted when the the parameters of FMPPCs are large enough.

Polymer/magnesia nanofiber composite sheets with anisotropic high thermal conductivity

The performance of an electronic product depends on how efficiently it can dissipate the heat of its parts. As a result, intensive ongoing research seeks to improve the thermal conductivity of polymeric materials. In this study, we investigate magnesia nanofibers as thermal conductive filler in the resin and compared them to conventional spherical filler. Magnesia nanofiber mats were fabricated by electrospinning a solution of polyvinyl alcohol and magnesium ethoxide mixtures; they were then impregnated with resins to obtain a composite sheet. We assessed the thermal conductivity of the composite sheet. The resin sheet with aligned magnesia nanofibers content (49 vol%) had high thermal conductivity (12.9 W/mK) in the direction parallel to the aligned magnesia nanofibers. The conductivity increased in proportion to magnesia nanofiber content. In addition, the magnesia nanofiber composite sheet showed anisotropic thermal conductivity derived from the fiber direction and had electrical insulation (7.7 × 1012 Ω/□), and flexibility. These electrically insulating sheets with anisotropy in thermal conductivity would be useful in designing effective heat removal paths in electronic devices.

Transport Properties of Mixed-Matrix Membranes: A Kinetic Monte Carlo Study

Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations are used to study transport of guest molecules in a two-phase medium in which the minority phase forms closed regions. This type of model system resembles compositions of mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) made of a matrix and imbedded filler particles with different permeabilities. Based on an ideal filler-matrix composite morphology as defined in [H. Vinh-Thang, S. Kaliaguine, Chem. Rev. 113, 4980, 2013], the effects of the filler-particle volume fraction, particle size, shape (aspect ratio), and the spatial particle distribution on gas transport through MMMs are addressed. The results obtained for nonoverlapping and randomly placed spherical filler particles are found to be in good agreement with the analytical models available in the literature and have proven their good accuracy also for thin membranes where finite-size effects are expected to play an appreciable role. Furthermore, the prominent influence of the aspect ratio for nonspherical particles on the effective permeability is shown and scenarios are discussed where the alignment of the asymmetric filler particles give rise to anisotropic transport properties potentially favorable for the performance of MMMs. The KMC approach developed guides the optimal spatial arrangement and orientation of the filler particles for the different strategies to increase the membrane permeability and separation selectivity by transport enhancement or inhibition.

Stochastic Finite Element Analysis Framework for Modelling Mechanical Properties of Particulate Modified Polymer Composites.

Polymers have become indispensable in many engineering applications because of their attractive properties, including low volumetric mass density and excellent resistance to corrosion. However, polymers typically lack in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties that may be required for certain engineering applications. Therefore, researchers have been seeking to improve properties by modifying polymers with particulate fillers. In the research presented herein, a numerical modeling framework was employed that is capable of predicting the properties of binary or higher order composites with randomly distributed fillers in a polymer matrix. Specifically, mechanical properties, i.e., elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and thermal expansion coefficient, were herein explored for the case of size-distributed spherical filler particles. The modeling framework, employing stochastic finite element analysis, reduces efforts for assessing material properties compared to experimental work, while increasing the level of accuracy compared to other available approaches, such as analytical methods. Results from the modeling framework are presented and contrasted with findings from experimental works available in the technical literature. Numerical predictions agree well with the non-linear trends observed in the experiments, i.e., elastic modulus predictions are within the experimental data scatter, while numerical data deviate from experimental Poisson’s ratio data for filler volume fractions greater than 0.15. The latter may be the result of morphology changes in specimens at higher filler volume fractions that do not comply with modelling assumptions.

Functionalized glass fibers cloth/spherical BN fillers/epoxy laminated composites with excellent thermal conductivities and electrical insulation properties

Abstract Thermally conductive glass fibers cloth/spherical boron nitride fillers/epoxy (GFs/BN/epoxy) laminated composites with excellent electrical insulation properties were fabricated by blending-impregnation followed by hot compression method. Epichlorohydrin (ECH) was successfully grafted onto the surface of GFs ( f-GFs), in favor of improving the mechanical properties of the f -GFs/epoxy laminated composites. For a given spherical BN fillers loading, GBN-100 with relatively larger particle size was more benefit for enhancing the thermal conductivities of the BN/epoxy composites. Meantime, thermal conductivity coefficient ( λ) values of the f-GFs/GBN-100/epoxy laminated composites were gradually enhanced with the increasing addition of GBN-100 fillers. When the mass fraction of GBN-100 fillers was 20 wt%, the λ in vertical (λ⊥) and parallel (λ∥) of the f-GFs/GBN-100/epoxy laminated composites was the maximum of 1.21 and 3.55 W m−1K−1, about 3 and 6 times than that of the f-GFs/epoxy laminated composites (λ⊥ of 0.41 W m−1K−1 and λ∥ of 0.66 W m−1K−1), respectively, and much higher than that of pure epoxy matrix (0.23 W m−1K−1). Meantime, the surface resistivity and breakdown strength of the f-GFs/GBN-100/epoxy laminated composites with 20 wt% GBN-100 fillers was respectively decreased to 5.1*1014 Ω and 7 KV mm−1, but still maintained excellent electrical insulation properties.

Polymer/Alumina Nanofiber Composite Sheets with Anisotropic High Thermal Conductivity

The performance of an electronic product depends on how efficiently it can dissipate the heat of its parts. As a result, intensive ongoing research seeks to improve the thermal conductivity of polymeric materials. In this study, we investigate magnesia nanofibers as thermal conductive filler in the resin and compared them to conventional spherical filler. Magnesia nanofiber mats were fabricated by electrospinning a solution of polyvinyl alcohol and magnesium ethoxide mixtures; they were then impregnated with resins to obtain a composite sheet. We assessed the thermal conductivity of the composite sheet. The resin sheet with aligned magnesia nanofibers content (49 vol%) had high thermal conductivity (12.9 W/mK) in the direction parallel to the aligned magnesia nanofibers. The conductivity increased in proportion to magnesia nanofiber content. In addition, the magnesia nanofiber composite sheet showed anisotropic thermal conductivity derived from the fiber direction and had electrical insulation (7.7 × 1012 Ω/□), and flexibility. These electrically insulating sheets with anisotropy in thermal conductivity would be useful in designing effective heat removal paths in electronic devices.

Effect of particle shape on the wear and friction behavior of particle-reinforced epoxy coatings

Epoxy coatings are increasingly becoming popular choices as barriers against acids and alkali for protection of concrete and metal products. In applications, metal containers are often coated with epoxy-based coatings to prevent rusting and corrosion. In this study, an experimental examination was carried out to investigate the effect of particle shape and size on the friction and wear behavior of epoxy coatings. Friction and wear experiments were conducted using a pin-on-disk tribometer. Epoxy resin was filled with four different shapes of glass particles (spherical, flake, rod, and irregular shape) and varying particle sizes. Fillers were settled down and filler surface area fraction through thickness was characterized using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). The wear mechanisms such as matrix wear, matrix cracking, particle fracture, particle debonding, and pullout and debris formation were studied using scanning electron microscopy. According to observations, it was found that particle shape has an effect on the wear characteristic. Particle fracture and particle pullout mainly dominated the wear in the samples of flake- and rod-shaped fillers, perpendicular matrix cracks occurred in the samples of spherical fillers, large debonding at the particle–matrix interface without particle pullout occurred in the samples of large irregular-shaped fillers (75–150 µm), and matrix cracks dominated the wear as the size of irregular-shaped fillers decreased to 50–75 µm. Further, it was found that friction coefficient depends on the shape of the particle. The samples with spherical- and irregular-shaped fillers had higher friction coefficient as compared to the samples with flake and rod fillers.

A new permeation model in porous filler–based mixed matrix membranes for CO2 separation

AbstractIn this paper, a novel comprehensive permeation model for mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) is introduced. This model shows the importance of understanding and developing a more reliable model for the permeation behavior of MMMs containing porous filler nanoparticles. A new method is established to provide a more precise/large‐scale three‐dimensional MMMs geometry. The required number of spherical porous fillers in random/nonuniform positions in the polymer matrix is calculated. Interfacial equilibrium constant (K) at the polymer/filler interfaces was adjusted as the concentration ratio of the diffusing penetrants (C2 and C1) at the interface, respectively. In this case, the K values are changed by varying the intended gaseous concentration due to their permeation through the MMM. Hence, its effect on penetrants effective diffusion coefficient was examined. Then, the obtained results were evaluated with similar experimental data, which showed much consistency. Therefore, the accurate calculation method for MMMs permeability was governed for the entire range of the operating pressures in MMMs. The results showed that the permeability of MMMs increases with increasing filler particle size. On the other hand, variations that occur in the MMM permeability at various particle size were much more distinct at higher loadings. Moreover, some well‐known analytical permeation models were used to compare and validate the model's permeability results. It can be concluded that this model provides a method for more precise and realistic design of MMMs as well as to better construe the large number of related experimental data. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Increasing the electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposites under the external field by tuning nanofiller shape

It is very important to improve the electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), which can be used under the external field. In this work, by employing a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, the effect of the external fields (tensile field and shear field) on the conductive probability of PNCs has been investigated in details by tuning the nanofiller shape. By carefully analyzing the conductive network, compared with the rod filler and the sphere filler, the Y filler and the X filler can protect the conducive networks well from their breakage perpendicular to the external fields, which thus can significantly enhance the conductive probability under the external fields. In other words, compared with under the quiescent state, the decrease or the increase of the conductive probability under the external fields depends on the nanofiller shape. Meanwhile, it is interesting to find that both the directional conductive probabilities parallel to the shear field and perpendicular to the shear field increase with the shear rate for the Y fillers, which further reflects their high conductive probability under the shear field. The reason can be attributed to two aspects: (1) the gradual aggregation of Y fillers under the external field; (2) the multi-arm structures of Y fillers. In summary, this work presents some further understanding how to improve the electrical conductivity of PNCs under the external fields by tuning the nanofiller shape.

Efficient prediction of the electrical conductivity and percolation threshold of nanocomposite containing spherical particles with three-dimensional random representative volume elements by random filler removal

In this work, the effective electrical conductivity (EEC) and percolation threshold (PT) of a nanocomposite containing spherical particle fillers are predicted by computational homogenization schemes (CHS) with three-dimensional random representative volume elements (RVEs) by random filler removal (RFR). For this prediction, we prepare the RVE having the maximum filler volume fraction (Vf) of 52% with random particle fillers, also termed the master model, by the discrete element method (DEM), and the corresponding finite-element (FE) model is created. Then, 100 RVE samples for each Vf are derived by randomly replacing the material properties of several fillers by those of the matrix from the master model with diverse Vf from 5% to 50%. In addition, the interphase layer is employed by replacing some matrix elements with interphase elements according to the neighboring distance of the fillers.To demonstrate the performance of the proposed scheme, its randomness of RVEs is verified by spatial and physical metrics in terms of autocorrelation analysis, near-neighbor analysis, and directional conductivity ratio. The EEC prediction results with diverse Vf values are compared with those of an analytical model and test results. As a result, the PT at which EEC of the nanocomposites suddenly increases is successfully evaluated, and the effect of the void, interphase thickness, and conductivity, as well as the size of fillers on the EEC and PT is investigated through a sensitivity analysis.

Preparation and Nonlinear Conductivity Characteristics of Silicone Rubber Filled with Silver-Coated Tetrapod-Shaped ZnO Whiskers

Tetrapod-shaped zinc oxide (T-ZnO) whiskers were coated with silver by chemical plating (T-ZnO@Ag). T-ZnO(T-ZnO@Ag)/silicone rubber composites were fabricated at a temperature of 165°C and pressure of 15 MPa. The nonlinear conductivity characteristics of T-ZnO (T-ZnO@Ag)/silicone rubber composites with volume fractions of 1 vol.%, 2.4 vol.%, 3.7 vol.%, and 5 vol.% were investigated. The dielectric properties of the composites at frequencies of 0.1 Hz to 10 MHz were analyzed. The conductivity of the T-ZnO/silicone rubber composite increased with the T-ZnO content, while the switching field decreased. Upon the coating of T-ZnO with Ag, the nonlinear characteristics of the T-ZnO@Ag/silicone rubber composite significantly enhanced. The nonlinear coefficient reached 10.95 at the filler content of 2.4 vol.%. The percolation threshold of T-ZnO fillers is significantly lower than that of spherical ZnO fillers. Percolation threshold and Schottky barrier effect were utilized to explain the nonlinear electrical properties.

Micromechanical modeling of particulate-filled composites using micro-CT to create representative volume elements

A method based on X-ray micro-CT was introduced to create realistic representative volume elements (RVE) for particulate-filled composite materials. The method is applicable to most composite systems, and can be utilized to improve artificial computer algorithms by presenting the number, the dimension, and the orientation of filler particles inside the RVEs. Three different shapes of glass fillers (spherical, flake, and fiber) and filler mass fractions (5%, 10%, and 15%) were introduced to epoxy resin to demonstrate the capability of micro-CT to create RVEs. Two kind of RVEs were created; voxel-based and geometry-based. Voxel-based RVEs were created from binary segmentation of images taken from micro-CT. Geometry-based RVEs were created after reconstruction of voxel-based RVEs to eliminate the stepped-like appearance of non-orthogonal interfaces. These RVE’s were then used in the finite element analysis to find the effective mechanical properties such as Young’s modulus, shear modulus, Poisson’s ratio of the samples. In order to assess the numerical findings, compression tests were performed according to ASTM D695. Also, spherical fillers were distributed inside a volume artificially using an algorithm and RVEs were created. The number and the dimension of the spherical fillers were supplied from X-ray micro-CT and optical microscopy, respectively. The elastic moduli found using RVEs created from the algorithm is close to the elastic moduli found using RVEs created from X-ray micro-CT.

Light heat-resistant polymer concretes based on oligooxyhydridesilmethylensiloxysilane and hollow spherical fillers

Light heat-resistant polymer concretes based on oligooxyhydridesilmethylensiloxysilane and hollow spherical fillers

Investigation of a Proactive Glass Filler Removal in IC Substrate Build Up Films and its Effect on Topography and Copper Adhesion Reliability

Across all areas within the electronics industry, there is a general trend to push for a smaller footprint and reduce unit size where ever possible. Printed Circuit Board (PCB) production is not exempt from this trend and one of the major challenges facing the industry is the drive to produce an ever increasing interconnect density. While there is a wide range of dielectric materials available to PCB designers, due to their well-balanced properties, the materials of choice often remain those based on epoxy based resins. However for high end applications, where the ability to produce interconnects of the desired size, in combination with other target properties is critical, there has been a switch away from woven glass reinforcement towards a system based on glass particles. Such spheres, typically with diameters in the order of microns, allow for improved thermal expansion control within the final board, and due to their small size also enable smoother surface topographies when compared to the previous glass fibre reinforced materials. Irrespective of the reinforcement system utilized, the desmear operation, which is widely used during the electroless Copper process, can expose the filler material, and especially in the case of the glass sphere fillers, can lead to a reduction in their anchoring in the surrounding resin matrix, which may result with reduced adhesion and potentially blistering of the deposited electroless Copper layer. The use of hydrofluoric acid, is a recognized industrial method for removal of glass fillers, however in addition to the health concerns posed by its use, it has been shown in previous studies, that a complete dissolution of surface exposed glass fillers creates a sponge like structure, which leads to a reduced overall rigidity. This paper presents a wet chemical approach that is not based on hydrofluoric acid, as a means of removal of exposed glass reinforcement materials, and examines its effect on the surface topography prior to Copper plating and on the final Copper adhesion on commonly used substrate build up films. We describe an increased Copper to substrate adhesion where a less drastic means of attacking the glass fillers is employed and propose an explanation by less residual glass fillers on the surface which are easily lifted off by the plated Cu-film. In addition, we show that crevices are created between the remaining surface exposed glass fillers and their surrounding resin matrix, which after being filled during plating act as anchoring points, thus increasing overall adhesion between the dielectric and overlying Copper layer. For commonly used base materials a significant improvement of the blister performance, as well as an enhanced Copper to substrate adhesion was observed. It is clearly understood that the absolute value of peel strength is dependent upon surface topography, which in turn is influenced by the resin curing conditions and the applied desmear process. Nevertheless, we have obtained adhesion improvements through glass filler removal on a number of base materials with a wide range of surface roughness. Typically used within advanced substrate designs, the cleaning of blind micro vias is of paramount importance, and the removal of glass fillers from such features is a challenging task. Within this work, we have shown that the use of additives within the process chemistry can impact the solution exchange within these features so that glass filler removal therein is optimized. Thus, besides increasing Copper to resin adhesion, the employed chemical treatment also facilitates the creation of inner layer connectivity and aids in their final reliability performance.