Interfacial properties, determination

The van der Waals and other non-covalent interactions are universally present in any adhesive bond, and the contribution of these forces is quantified in terms of two material properties, namely, the surface and interfacial energies. The surface and interfacial energies are macroscopic intrinsic material properties. The surface energy of a material, y, is the energy required to create a unit area of the surface of a material in a thermodynamically reversible manner. As per the definition of Dupre [14], the surface and interfacial properties determine the intrinsic or thermodynamic work of adhesion, W, of an interface. For two identical surfaces in contact ... 

An analogous mechanism should also produce polymers on irradiation of epoxies. Crivello s recent mechanistic suggestions [29] are consistent with the mechanisms given above. One can conclude that radiation-induced polymerization of epoxies can proceed via several mechanisms. However, further work is needed to determine the relative contributions of the different mechanisms, which might vary from one epoxy to another. As part of the Interfacial Properties of Electron Beam Cured Composites CRADA [37], an in-depth study of the curing mechanism for the cationic-initiated epoxy polymerization is being undertaken. 

Certainly these approaches represent a progress in our understanding of the interfacial properties. All the phenomena taken into account, e.g., the coupling with the metal side, the degree of solvation of ions, etc., play a role in the interfacial structure. However, it appears that the theoretical predictions are very sensitive to the details of the interaction potentials between the various species present at the interface and also to the approximations used in the statistical treatment of the model. In what follows we focus on a small number of basic phenomena which, probably, determine the interfacial properties, and we try to use very transparent approximations to estimate the role of these phenomena. 

This has been shown to correlate for a wide variety of tower packings, various operating conditions, and physical properties of the solute and inert gases. The k(j calculated must be used in conjunction with the effective interfacial areas determined by Shulman [65] Figure 9-47, to establish a reliable value for kGa. Figure 9-47 should be used with the abscissa as G/Vp/0.075 for inert gas other than air [67] ... 

The area of colloids, surfactants, and fluid interfaces is large in scope. It encompasses all fluid-fluid and fluid-solid systems in which interfacial properties play a dominant role in determining the behavior of the overall system. Such systems are often characterized by large surface-to-volume ratios (e.g., thin films, sols, and foams) and by the formation of macroscopic assembhes of molecules (e.g., colloids, micelles, vesicles, and Langmuir-Blodgett films). The peculiar properties of the interfaces in such media give rise to these otherwise unlikely (and often inherently unstable) structures. 

Experimentally either the electrocapillary curve or the differential capacity (as a function of y) is determined. From either set of data, the interfacial properties (adsorption and/or charge) as a function of y and a quantitative description of the structure of the interface can be obtained. 

In most problems involving boundary conditions, the boundary is assigned a specific empirical or deterministic behavior, such as the no-slip case or an empirically determined slip value. The condition is defined based on an averaged value that assumes a mean flow profile. This is convenient and simple for a macroscopic system, where random fluctuations in the interfacial properties are small enough so as to produce little noise in the system. However, random fluctuations in the interfacial conditions of microscopic systems may not be so simple to average out, due to the size of the fluctuations with respect to the size of the signal itself. To address this problem, we consider the use of stochastic boundary conditions that account for random fluctuations and focus on the statistical variability of the system. Also, this may allow for better predictions of interfacial properties and boundary conditions. 

Singh, R.N. and Sutcu, M. (1991). Determination of fiber-matrix interfacial properties in ceramic-matrix composites by a fiber push-out technique. J. Mater. Sci. 26, 2547-2556. 

For example a polymer s interfacial characteristics determine chemical and physical properties such as permeability, wettability, adhesion, friction, wear and biocompatibility. " However polymers frequently lack the optimum surface properties for these applications. Consequently surface modification techniques have become increasingly desirable in technological applications of polymers. - ... 

Ionic surfactants are electrolytes dissociated in water, forming an electrical double layer consisting of counterions and co-ions at the interface. The Gouy-Chapman theory is used to model the double layer. In conjunction with the Gibbs adsorption equation and the equations of state, the theory allows the surfactant adsorption and the related interfacial properties to be determined [9,10] (The Gibbs adsorption model is certainly simpler than the Butler-Lucassen-Reynders model for this case.). 

During the past few years, the determination of the interfacial properties of binary mixtures of surfactants has been an area in which there has been considerable activity on the part of a number of investigators, both in industry and in academia. The Interest in this area stems from the fact that mixtures of two different types of surfactants often have interfacial properties that are better than those of the individual surfactants by themselves. For example, mixtures of two different surface-active components sometimes reduce the interfacial tension at the hydrocarbon/water interface to values far lower than that obtained with the individual surfactants, and certain mixtures of surfactants are better foaming agents than the individual components. For the purpose of this discussion we define synergism as existing in a system when a given property of the mixture can reach a more desirable value than that attainable by either surface-active component of the mixture by itself. 

So far we have established in a qualitative way the importance of the metal properties on the characteristics of the interfacial region through two properties, the relation of Omvs. pzc and the capacitance of the double layer. What is next At this point it would be good to obtain a detailed model of the metal region and then determine—now in a quantitative way—the influence of the metal on the interfacial properties, similarly to the procedure followed when studying the solution region (Section 6.6.1). 

Surface tension and contact angle phenomena play a major role in many practical things in life. Whether a liquid will spread on a surface or will break up into small droplets depends on the above properties of interfaces and determines well-known operations such as detergency and coating processes and others that are, perhaps, not so well known, for example, preparation of thin films for resist lithography in microelectronic applications. The challenge for the colloid scientist is to relate the macroscopic effects to the interfacial properties of the materials involved and to learn how to manipulate the latter to achieve the desired effects. Vignette VI provides an example. 

The promise of photoelectrochemical devices of both the photovoltaic and chemical producing variety has been discussed and reviewed extensively.Cl,, 3,4) The criteria that these cells must meet with respect to stability, band gap and flatband potential have been modeled effectively and in a systematic fashion. However, it is becomirg clear that though such models accurately describe the general features of the device, as in the case of solid state Schottky barrier solar cells, the detailed nature of the interfacial properties can play an overriding role in determining the device properties. Some of these interface properties and processes and their potential deleterious or beneficial effects on electrode performance will be discussed. 

Interfacial properties were also determined via a modified MSA approach [243] and via the GMSA [287]. Despite all differences regarding the coexistence curve, the few reduced surface tensions available from these MSA-based approaches agree quite well with those obtained by DH theory. It is not known how the MSA would react toward the various local density approximations. 

The atomic geometry of a surface or interface is, in certain respects, its most fundamental property. Since most surfaces and interfaces are metastable, especially those of technological interest, their composition and structure depends on their process history. Their structures determine, moreover, the "interesting" interfacial properties which are utilized in specific applications, e.g., reactivity and specificity in catalysis or Schottky barrier height in metal-semiconductor contacts. In addition, the interface structure is measurable by one or more of the techniques noted earlier. Therefore the structure of an interface is a measurable link between the process used to prepare it and the electronic and chemical properties which determine its utility. 

The use of evanescent waves is very valuable to the study of interfacial properties. Techniques such as total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and attenuated transmitted reflectance (ATR) use the energy of evanescent waves to probe thin regions in the vicinity of an interface to determine surface concentrations of interfacial species. 

In composite systems, 2H NMR is particularly suited to investigate interfacial properties. Indeed, isolated nuclei are observed, which potentially allows spatially selective information to be obtained. It has been used to investigate polymer chain mobility at the polymer-filler interface, mainly in filled silicon (in particular PDMS) networks. The chain mobility differs considerably at the polymer-filler interface, and this may be interpreted in terms of an adsorbed polymer layer at the filler surface. T1 relaxation measurements allowed to determine the fraction of chain units involved in the adsorption layer, or equivalently, the thickness of the layer [75, 76, 77]. The molecular mobility and the thickness of the adsorption layer are very sensitive to the type of filler surface [78]. 

It must be emphasized that polymer adhesion is a complex phenomenon. The efficiency of an adhesive is only partly determined by interfacial properties. Cassidy et al. (1972) already found that effects on the glass transition temperature of the adhesive may be more important than interfacial properties. An additive that lowers Tg from a point above the test temperature to below it, causes a decrease in the strength of the system with cohesive failure within the adhesive. 

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