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CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYMER-LIKE FILMS, FIBRES AND CERAMICS AND THEIR SURFACE TREATMENTS, BY HIGH RESOLUTION ELECTRON ENERGY LOSS SPECTROSCOPY

Objective


The evaluation of the physical performances of the high resolution electron energy loss spectrometer (HREEL) prototype developed in Namur has been performed. Consequently, construction of the new spectrometer for the project has been ordered. In the meantime, the surface characterisation of clean, or as received, polymer films is being undertaken.

Textile materials and synthetic fibres gain most of their qualities from their surface properties. Within surface science techniques, a new high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) spectrometer has been designed and constructed. The potential of HREELS to gain - through electron induced vibrational spectra - information in addition to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOFSIMS), infrared (IR) and Raman measurements has been tested. As with other physicochemical characterization methods (density, crystallinity, mechanical properties) it is possible to correlate surface composition, contamination, morphology, structure, crystallinity, etc with different preparation/ageing processes of the materials surface. Two different materials families have been studied: polyamide (6, and 6.6) and polyethylene terephthalate films and fibres, and poly(aminoacid)s films. For the first, there exists a correlation between the industrial process and the surface/bulk crystallinity. For the aminoacids films, unique surface morphology, including conformation and structure of the chains at the very surface, has been determined.

The project has resulted in a prototype of a new HREELS instrument in which the shortcomings of the existing HREELS have been solved. The instrument can be applied to the study of fibres in coating treatments, waterproofing, deterioration due to radiation or chemicals, and mechanical or chemical abrasion. It may also be of use in the study of metal polymer materials used for packing or canning.
In order to enhance the qualities of textile materials (synthetic and natural fibres) that, because of their physical shape, are dependent on their surface elemental and chemical composition and morphology, a new generation of HREELS (High Resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer) instrument will be designed and optimized. With the study of case examples, the applicability of this spectroscopy to fibre materials will be demonstrated in three steps :

(1)as (natural and synthetic) fibres have a very heterogeneous complex morphology, first models like flat polymers films will be studied.
(2)then modified (by plasma or laser treatment; coating) polymer surfaces will be prepared and characterized.
(3)finally industrial films and fibres will be studied.

This research is backed up by the use of (more) conventional (FT) InfraRed, Raman, ESCA, (TOF) SIMS and AFM techniques, and mechanical tests.

Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

Facultes Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix de Namur
EU contribution
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Address
Rue de Bruxelles 61
5000 NAMUR
Belgium

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Participants (3)