Influence of dopant material on a silicone polymer subjected to low-pressure air plasma treatments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19136/jeeos.a10n3.6695Keywords:
Hydrophobicity; percentage mass loss; polydimethylsiloxane; surface modification; transmittance.Abstract
The effect of incorporating a dopant material into a silicone polymer was analyzed when exposed to low-pressure air plasma. Square composite samples of silicone rubber (Momentive RTV615) were used. Five undoped samples and five samples doped with fumed silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (Aerosil R812) at a concentration of 1.0% of the total volume were used. The plasma was applied in a vacuum chamber (20 Torr) and generated (20 mA, 4000 V) using a high-voltage source (SPELLMAN SL600). Five plasma exposure times were considered (0.0, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 15.0 min). In general, incorporating the dopant modifies the polymer's initial properties. It reduces changes in response to plasma treatments, attenuates degradation, stabilizes hydrophobicity, and moderates optical changes. The dopant is an effective option for controlling and optimizing the response of surface-modified polymers to plasma. The influence of its volume on the variables of interest remains to be analyzed.
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