Surface Treatment Research Articles

Determination of the possibility of the synthesis of Zn-Al layered double hydroxides, intercalated with peroxyanions, as a perspective solid disinfectant

Infectious diseases in the modern world pose a significant threat to humanity in the form of epidemics and pandemics. To prevent and combat them, it is necessary to carry out antiseptic and disinfectant treatments of various environments, household and industrial surfaces, as well as wounds of various origins. Double-layer hydroxides intercalated with peroxyanions as active oxygen compounds are promising materials for this. In order to determine the possibility of obtaining Zn-Al double-layer hydroxide intercalated with peroxylactic acid anions, samples were synthesized by the method of chemical co-precipitation in the presence of peroxylactic acid at controlled pH (8, 10) and t=20 ℃. The properties of the synthesized samples were investigated. The content of active oxygen (in terms of H2O2) was determined by the method of iodometric titration with the calculation of the percentage of hydrogen peroxide that was intercalated in double layered hydroxides, remained in the mother solution or was lost. The crystal structure was studied by X-ray phase analysis, the yield of samples was determined gravimetrically, and sedimentation was determined by measuring and normalizing the thickness of the sediment layer. It was found that the samples synthesized at pH=8 and 10 are biphasic and consist of an oxide phase and a double-layer hydroxide phase. The determined content of active oxygen (in terms of H2O2) in the samples synthesized at pH=8 (0.533 %) and at pH=10 (0.876 %) confirms the success of the synthesis of Zn-Al-peroxylactate double layered hydroxides. Synthesis at elevated pH is promising. A low percentage of H2O2 intercalation was revealed – 4.03–6.54 %, the majority of hydrogen peroxide (82.36-94.44 %) remains in the mother solution. The yield of the synthesized samples was determined to be 61.9 % and 79.5 % at synthesis pH of 10 and 8, respectively. The sedimentation properties of the samples were studied and their improvement was shown when the pH of the synthesis was increased

Application of friction stir surface treatment for modification of peripheral coarse grain structure and mechanical properties of AZ31 Mg alloy

The presence of peripheral coarse grains (PCG) in the microstructure of extruded products is considered one of the causes of decreased mechanical properties. Such microstructure has been observed at the periphery of extruded AZ31 Mg alloy. This research aims to achieve a refined and homogeneous microstructure at the structure of extruded bars of AZ31 alloy using pinless friction stir processing (FSP). Up to six passes of FSP using pinless tools with different shoulder surface geometries were conducted. Tools with varying diameters of 12, 15, and 22 mm were used to investigate the effect of shoulder geometry. The rotational speed and traverse speed of the tool were set at 900 rpm and 70 mm/min, respectively. The tool tilt angle was also set to 3°. The effect of the tool geometry on the metallurgical and mechanical properties was investigated using metallography tests, microhardness testing, tensile testing, and fracture testing. According to the results, it was found that reducing the diameter of the tool and using featured tool can lead to homogenization and reduction of the average grain size in the processed samples, increasing the microhardness compared to the primary sample. It was also observed that mechanical properties were improved with the increase in the tool diameter due to the improved quality of the processing area. For samples processed with a 22 mm diameter tool, the final strength reached 242.7 and 248.81 MPa, respectively, for the simple and featured tools.

Cotton fabric surface treatment by plasma-deposited hexamethyldisilazane thin films

In the realm of fabric finishing, achieving the best wettability in cotton fabric is often a desired outcome. To accomplish this, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system was used to deposit Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDSN) thin films onto cotton fabric for two different durations: 15 and 30 minutes. Various fabric properties were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the treatment, including wettability, surface morphology, chemical structure, the effect of deposition on fabric stiffness, and the film fastness on the abrasion and washing. These properties were assessed using SEM, FTIR, and Martindale tester. Results indicated that both treatment durations improved the fabric's wicking ability. However, the film did not have a good fastness on abrasion and washing.

High-Speed Thermo-Compression Sinter-Bonding Properties in Air of a Paste Containing Dendritic Cu Particles Having Oxalate Skins

To enhance the sinter-bonding speed of Cu dendrite particle-based paste, the particles were surface-treated with oxalic acid solution. This treatment transitioned the particle surface from an oxide layer to a CuC 2 O 4 phase, which suppressed the oxidation of Cu until thermal decomposition between 284-315 °C generating Cu nanoparticles. Using the surface-treated Cu dendrite particle-based paste, sinter bonding at 320 °C under 5 MPa pressure in air provided a sufficient shear strength of 23.4 MPa in just 60 s, reaching the maximum of 28.7 MPa after 180 s. The in situ generated Cu nanoparticles from the thermal decomposition of CuC<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> directly contributed to the very rapid sintering-bonding behavior at 320 °C. However, the bondings at 300 °C and 350 °C showed poorer bonding characteristics than that of before treatment, indicating that the surface treatment strategy for forming CuC<sub>2</sub>O4 skins is effectively implemented by appropriately setting the following sinter-bonding temperature.

A versatile plasma generation power supply featuring a multilevel converter for arbitrary waveforms generation

Purpose Plasma technology has become of great interest in a wide variety of industrial and domestic applications. Moreover, the application of plasma in the domestic field has increased in recent years due to its applications to surface treatment and disinfection. In this context, there is a significant need for versatile power generators able to generate a wide range of output voltage/current ranging from direct current (DC) to tens of kHz in the range of kVs. The purpose of this paper is to develop a highly versatile power converter for plasma generation based on a multilevel topology. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a versatile multilevel topology able to generate versatile output waveforms. The followed methodology includes simulation of the proposed architecture, design of the power electronics, control and magnetic elements and test laboratory tests after building an eight-level prototype. Findings The proposed converter has been designed and tested using an experimental prototype. The designed generator is able to operate at 10 kVpp output voltage and 10 kHz, proving the feasibility of the proposed approach. Originality/value The proposed converter enables versatile waveform generation, enabling advanced studies in plasma generation. Unlike previous proposals, the proposed converter features bidirectional operation, allowing to test complex reactive loads. Besides, complex waveforms can be generated, allowing testing complex patterns for optimized cold-plasma generation methods. Besides, unlike transformer- or resonant-network-based approaches, the proposed generator features very low output impedance regardless the operating point, exhibiting improved and reliable performance for different operating conditions.

Effect of Polishing and Universal Bonding Application on Mercury Release from Aged Amalgam after Exposure to Bleaching Agents

Objectives: Teeth bleaching is an accepted and modern treatment in cosmetic dentistry. Bleaching agents may affect amalgam restorations and increase mercury release; therefore, patients are at increased risk of mercury exposure in the body. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polishing and universal bonding application on mercury release from aged amalgams exposed to bleaching. Materials and Methods: In this in-vitro experimental study, 64 dental amalgam specimens with dimensions of 3×5×10 were prepared and divided into two experimental and control groups. Each group was further divided into 4 subgroups and received one of the following treatments: no intervention, surface bonding, polishing, or polishing and surface bonding. Subsequently, the samples were immersed in bleaching agent containing 7% hydrogen peroxide and the amount of mercury released after 96h was measured. The results were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests (α≤0.05). Results: The results showed that the type of solution (P<0.05) and surface treatment (P<0.001) significantly affected the level of mercury release. However, there was no significant interaction between surface treatment methods in the bleaching group and those in the phosphate buffer group (P=0.621). Conclusion: Bleaching agents were found to enhance mercury release from dental amalgam. The application of polishing and universal bonding on amalgam surfaces exhibited significant effects on the reduction of the mercury release.

Prediction Model of Ancient Village Pottery Building Microspace Design Style by Integrating Machine Learning

Microspace design styles on pottery fragments offer a captivating window into the artistic heritage and cultural practices of past societies. These intricate details and recurring patterns hold valuable clues about rituals, beliefs, and artistic expressions. However, existing approaches struggle to capture the relationships between design elements within a single piece. This limitation hinders the ability to capture the holistic meaning conveyed by the microspace design style. To overcome this limitation, this research proposes a novel approach called MoANN-DSOA for predicting microspace design styles based on ancient village pottery. MoANN-DSOA utilizes a Mosaic Attention Neural Network (MoANN) to analyze both the visual image and the relationships between design elements. This allows for a more detailed understanding of the artistic message encoded within each fragment. Additionally, a Dove Swarm Optimization Algorithm (DSOA) optimizes the MoANN architecture, potentially enhancing the accuracy of capturing intricate details. The proposed MoANN-DSOA method attains 7.78%, 27.89% and 33.335% higher accuracy and 14%, 20.81% and 32.36% higher F-Score compared to the existing methods like Categorization and Retrieval of Painted Pottery with CNNs (CNN), Utilizing CNN-VGG16-VGG19 Approach for Distinguishing Surface Treatments in Wheel-Thrown Pottery (CNN-VGG16-VGG19) and Unsupervised Feature Extraction of Ceramic Profiles using a Deep Variational Convolutional Autoencoder (DVCA) respectively. By this, the proposed MoANN-DSOA methodology paves the way for efficient information extraction from pottery image, unlocking deeper understanding and facilitating the construction of more informed historical narratives.

Simulation on dynamic passive control of structures using corrugated viscoelastic damping treatments

Passive damping treatments using viscoelastic materials (VEMs) are widely applied as addon solutions to control the dynamic response of light structures. These surface treatments are simple, reliable, and can be optimized by using proper design rules and simulation tools. In this work, a new treatment configuration is proposed, simulated, and assessed, being compared with the most effective configuration currently used. The novelty resides in the VEM layer’s geometry, which in the proposed configuration assumes a waved shape. This waved shape is imposed to the viscoelastic layer due to indentations created in the inner faces of the host structure and the constraining layer. The results demonstrate that the wavy configuration, designated as corrugated viscoelastic layer (CVL), outperforms the typical damping treatments for relatively thick host structures and when using thick VEM layers. In addition, this new configuration reduces the stiffness decoupling effect due to the soft VEM layer, restoring the flexural stiffness of the original undamped structure.

Titanium Surface Modification Techniques to Enhance Osteoblasts and Bone Formation for Dental Implants: A Narrative Review on Current Advances

Titanium Surface Modification Techniques to Enhance Osteoblasts and Bone Formation for Dental Implants: A Narrative Review on Current Advances

Influence of deep rolling at different temperatures on near-surface and mechanical properties of a Maraging C250 steel

Due to an outstanding combination of high strength and fracture toughness Maraging steels are used in numerous industries, e.g., in the aerospace sector. The high strength can be attributed to precipitation strengthening by conventional age-hardening heat treatments. However, as many of the envisaged applications will suffer from cyclic loadings, the fatigue properties are of significant interest in terms of a reliable use. Generally, Maraging steels are characterized by a relatively low fatigue strength limiting the use in certain applications. In this context, mechanical surface treatment processes are promising candidates to overcome these challenges. In particular, deep rolling represents a suitable process, as it is known for increased depth effects as well as smoother surface profiles compared to other mechanical surface treatment processes. Moreover, aging heat treatments can easily be implemented into the process. Accordingly, the present study focuses on near-surface and mechanical properties of a Maraging C250 steel after deep rolling. Characterization of the near-surface area was conducted by X-ray diffraction and hardness measurements. Mechanical properties were assessed by tensile and fatigue tests. The results presented reveal a great potential of the integration of an aging heat treatment into the deep rolling process eventually leading to significant process time reduction.

Micro-arc and thermal oxidized titanium matrix composites for tribocorrosion-resistant biomedical implants

Superior tribocorrosion resistance is offered by titanium matrix composites (TMCs) compared to their unreinforced matrix metal, but bioactivity concerns are raised for biomedical applications. Simple methods such as micro-arc oxidation (MAO) and thermal oxidation (TO) are employed to enhance the bioactivity and degradation resistance of Ti. However, the impact of those surface treatments on TMC surfaces is poorly understood. Therefore, the present work aimed to explore the influence of MAO and TO treatments on the surfaces of in-situ Ti-TiB-TiC and ex-situ Ti-B4C composites, and to assess their corrosion and tribocorrosion performance. Corrosion and tribocorrosion tests were conducted in phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS) at body temperature. Electrochemical assays were performed by means of potentiodynamic polarization scans while additional potentiostatic tests were performed for the untreated ex-situ composites. Tribo-electrochemical assays were conducted under open circuit potential (OCP) and under normal loads of 0.5 and 10 N against a 10 mm diameter alumina ball in a reciprocating ball-on-plate tribometer. Results revealed reinforcement detachments in ex-situ composites after both treatments. This was primarily attributed to oxide layer growth at the reinforcement/reaction zone interface. Hence, the use of MAO and TO on ex-situ Ti-B4C composites may not be appropriate for biomedical applications, mainly because the B4C particles tend to detach during the treatment. In contrast, TO-treated in-situ composites displayed excellent combination of corrosion and tribocorrosion performance, even under elevated applied loads, mainly due to the existence of the oxygen diffusion zone (ODZ) beneath the oxide surface produced by TO, together with the more stable electrochemical properties observed during steady-state conditions.

Argon nonthermal plasma etching of poly(L-lactic acid) films: Tunning the local surface degradation and hydrolytic degradation rate

Plasma technology is widely used in the industry for the surface modification of polymeric materials, improving the adhesion of paints in polymeric packaging and cellular adhesion on polymers' surfaces without using hazardous chemicals. Plasma etching is a fast way to modify polymers, creating new nanostructure surfaces and adding chemical groups for new applications like antimicrobial surfaces. Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) is a biodegradable polymer with exciting properties for biomedical, tissue engineering, food packaging, and other applications. In many cases, these products must undergo plasma surface treatments to meet the technical requirements of their function. Herein, we evaluated the effects of surface modification of PLLA using Argon nonthermal plasma etching. The results from Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray Excited Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS) show that increasing the plasma exposure time causes an enhancement in bulk and local surface degradation, crystallization kinetics and susceptibility to hydrolytic degradation for PLLA. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) show that the PLLA films present the highest surface roughness after 60 s of plasma etching times. Our findings suggest that plasma etching can be a suitable tool to adjust the polymer degradation rate to design intracorporeal devices with controlled degradation kinetics.

Progress in adhesive-bonded composite joints: A comprehensive review

Among the myriad joining techniques, the adhesive bonding technique is widely used to join complex large-scale composite structures because of its numerous advantages compared to traditional joining techniques. This article profusely analysed the various techniques for ameliorating the performance of composite joints, such as bonding methods (secondary bonding, co-bonding, co-curing, and multi-material bonding), surface modification techniques (plasma, laser surface treatment, surface grinding, etc.), additional reinforcement techniques (Z pin, wire mesh, nanofiller, etc), and different joint geometries (stepped joints, half-stepped joints, balanced joints, and scarf joints). Also, the effect of various adhesives and fabrication techniques on the static and dynamic performance of CFRP and GFRP-based joints was studied in detail. Moreover, this review addresses the finite element modelling and optimisation techniques on adhesively bonded joints. It has been observed that the bonding methods, surface modification to enhance the roughness of the adherend, addition of nanofillers, and variations in joint geometry greatly influence the shear strength, fracture toughness, fatigue, and vibration behaviour of FRP composite joints.

Optimization and Mechanism Study of Bonding Properties of CFRP/Al7075 Single-Lap Joints by Low-Temperature Plasma Surface Treatment

This paper studied favorable low-temperature plasma (LTP) surface treatment modes for Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)/Al7075 single-lap joints using complex experimental methods and analyzed the failure modes of the joints. The surface physicochemical properties of CFRP after LTP surface treatment were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle tests, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The influence mechanism of LTP surface treatment on the bonding properties of CFRP/Al7075 single-lap Joint was studied. The results of the complex experiment and range analysis showed that the favorable LTP surface treatment parameters were a speed of 10 mm/s, a distance of 10 mm, and three repeat scans. At these parameters, the shear strength of the joints reached 30.76 MPa, a 102.8% improvement compared to the untreated group. The failure mode of the joints shifted from interface failure to substrate failure. After low-temperature plasma surface treatment with favorable parameters, the CFRP surface exhibited gully like textures, which enhanced the mechanical interlocking between the CFRP surface and the adhesive. Additionally, the surface free energy of CFRP significantly increased, reaching a maximum of 78.77 mJ/m2. XPS results demonstrated that the low-temperature plasma surface treatment led to a significant increase in the content of oxygen-containing functional groups, such as C-O, C=O, and O-C=O, on the CFRP surface.

Metal–organic framework–derived trimetallic particles encapsulated by ultrathin nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets on a network of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as bifunctional catalysts for rechargeable zinc–air batteries

Economical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) bifunctional catalysts with high activity aimed at replacing precious metal catalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) must be developed. In this study, a multiple hierarchical-structural material is developed using a facile dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma surface treatment, solvothermal reaction, and high-temperature carbonization strategy. This strategy allows for the construction of nanosheets using nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) material-encapsulated ternary CoNiFe alloy nanoparticles (NPs) on a network of NC nanotubes (NCNTs), denoted as CoNiFe–NC@p–NCNTs. Precisely, the presence of abundant CoNiFe alloy NPs and the formation of M–N–C active sites created by transition metals (cobalt, nickel, and iron) coupled with NC can provide superior OER/ORR bifunctional properties. Moreover, the prepared NC layers with a multilevel pore structure contribute to a larger specific surface area, exposing numerous active sites and enhancing the uniformity of electron and mass movement. The CoNiFe0.08–NC@p–NCNTs show remarkable dual functionality for electrochemical oxygen reactions (ORR half-wave potential of 0.811 V, limiting current density of 5.73 mA cm−2 measured with a rotating disk electrode at a rotation speed of 1600 rpm, and OER overpotential of 351 mV at 10 mA cm−2), which demonstrates similar ORR performance to 20 wt% Pt/C and better OER performance than the commercial RuO2. A liquid ZAB prepared using the proposed material has excellent bifunctionality with an open-circuit voltage of 1.450 V and long-term cycling stability of 230 h@10 mA cm−2.

Influence of air DBD plasma treatment on the shear and flexural strength of adhesively bonded glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite joints

In this study, air dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment was applied at various voltages and treatment durations to improve the bonding strength of glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites (GF/EP). In addition, single lap shear and three-point bending strengths of adhesively bonded joints were compared between untreated and surface-treated (sanding, peel ply, and plasma) samples. Surface properties of GF/EP composites were examined using contact angle, surface free energy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Then, mechanical tests (single lap shear and three point bending) were performed and the damage modes were determined. Surface analyses revealed that wettability and polar functional groups increased on the GF/EP surface after plasma treatment. From the mechanical test results, it was observed that the plasma treatment applied to GF/EP composites increased both single lap shear and flexural strength compared to untreated, sanding and peel ply surface treatments. After both single lap shear and 3-point bending tests, adhesive, and light fiber tear failure modes were observed.

Investigation of Ohmic contact to plasma-etched n-Al0.5Ga0.5N by surface treatment

We investigated the optimization effects of KOH solution treatment and SiN x sacrificial layer treatment on the contact characteristics of V/Al/Ni/Au on plasma-etched n-AlGaN. The results showed that the contacts on n-Al0.5Ga0.5N with both surface treatments are truly Ohmic in nature, while the contacts on untreated plasma-etched samples are still rectifying. Surface atomic concentration analysis revealed that both surface treatment methods effectively reduced the nitrogen vacancies on n-AlGaN induced by plasma etching, which mostly act as acceptor-like states, leading to severe compensation and hindering of the formation of Ohmic contact. Moreover, the operating voltage was reduced by 0.9 V at 20 mA for 285 nm ultraviolet light-emitting diodes, demonstrating that the surface treatment could work well for plasma-etched n-AlGaN Ohmic contacts.

The ablation threshold and incubation effect in picosecond laser surface treatment of CFRP

The ablation threshold of carbon fiber is a critical parameter to consider in the laser surface treatment of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP), as it is necessary to design process parameters based on the threshold fluence to ensure process quality and efficiency. The incubation effect is a key factor influencing the ablation threshold, and a more rational incubation model contributes to a more accurate prediction of the ablation threshold. The conventional incubation model describes the regular decrease of the ablation threshold with an increasing pulse number. However, experimental findings show that the time interval of pulses is also a significant factor affecting the ablation and incubation process. In this study, the conventional incubation model was improved by comprehensively considering the time interval and space interval of pulses, which shows better prediction ability of ablation threshold under different parameter sets. The temperature history of CFRP under picosecond laser irradiation was calculated to support the rationality of the optimized incubation model. In addition, the laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and the ablation of carbon fibers and resin were investigated based on the ablation threshold.

Corrosion failure analysis and solutions of aluminum alloy gas path plate used in sanding device of high-speed train

During the maintenance of a high-speed train, it was frequently found that the anodized aluminum alloy gas path plates in the sanding device had different degrees of corrosion. In this paper, SEM, EDS, XRD and LAD-EDTEST spectrometer were used to analyze the macro and micro morphology, elements and phases of corrosion product, element compositions of the matrix and assembly problem of the gas path plates. The mechanism of delamination spalling corrosion caused by local pitting corrosion of anodized aluminum alloy gas path plate was described. In addition, the properties of the coatings produced by different surface treatment methods and different substrate materials were compared. The test results indicate that the corrosion protection level of the micro-arc oxide coating is higher than that of the anodic oxide coating, which is mainly composed of γ-Al2O3 and contains a certain amount of α-Al2O3. Compared with 2A12-T4 aluminum alloy, the micro arc oxidation (MAO) coating of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy has lower porosity, higher hardness, higher corrosion potential, lower corrosion current, and better corrosion resistance, and 6082-T6 aluminum alloy is more suitable for use as the gas plate material. Meanwhile, it is proposed that the MAO coating with 35 μm can obviously improve the corrosion resistance of the gas path plate.

Effect of synergistic surface treatment on the bonding strength and durability performance of aluminum-lithium alloy adhesive joints

The effect of synergetic surface treatments on the adhesion performance and strength durability of aluminum-lithium alloy bonded joints was investigated. The synergistic modes combine the advantages of different surface treatments, rough morphologies were firstly generated and then porous oxide layer structures were produced on the rough surfaces, so more porous structures and suitable rough characteristics were generated on the substrate to enhance the bonding performance of adhesive joint. The surface characteristics, surface wettability, fracture morphology, shear strength and strength durability of samples subjected to different surface treatments were compared and analyzed. The experimental results indicated that the synergistic treatments had a positive effect on the strength performance and environmental durability of bonded joints, with the highest surface free energy of 80.6 mJ/m2 and shear strength of 40.2 MPa, and also had the best environmental durability with a strength reduction of 8.2 % during the hot-humid exposure.