Thermal Properties of Plasma Deposited Methyl Methacrylate Films in an Atmospheric DBD Reactor. Issue 3 (4th November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scheltjens, Gill; Da Ponte, Gabriella; Paulussen, Sabine; De Graeve, Iris; Terryn, Herman; Reniers, François; Van Assche, Guy; Van Mele, Bruno
• Is Part Of: Plasma processes and polymers. Volume 12:Issue 3(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 260
• Page End: 270
• Publication Date: 2014-11-04
• Subjects: atmospheric pressure plasmas -- differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) -- glass transition -- methyl methacrylate -- thermal stability; Plasma polymerization -- Periodicals; Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; Plasma chemistry -- Periodicals
• DOI: 10.1002/ppap.201400143
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1612-8850

Abstract

Abstract : Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is deposited on aluminum substrates using atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge plasma. The thermal properties of plasma deposited MMA (pdMMA) films of 0.5 to 1 μm thickness are evaluated as a function of plasma power and precursor mass feed. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates a low molecular weight fraction in all pdMMA films, which lowers their thermal stability. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to quantify the glass transition ( T g ) and residual reactivity of the pdMMA thin films. For all plasma conditions, the T g remains inferior to conventional PMMA, and ranges from 20 °C in the monomer‐deficient domain to 56 °C in the energy‐deficient domain. A residual reactivity is measured in the first DSC heating of all pdMMA films, showing an exothermicity up to −160 J g −1 . Abstract : A systematic thermal analysis of thin organic plasma films in relation to the plasma conditions remains scarce in literature. In this work, the focus is on the quantification of thermal properties of pdMMA films produced using a DBD reactor operating at atmospheric pressure. The glass transition and residual reactivity of the plasma films are measured by DSC as a function of precursor mass flow and input plasma power.