Plastics chemical etching

Plastics Chemical etching Weak boundary layer removal and surface oxidation... 

The present review shows how the microhardness technique can be used to elucidate the dependence of a variety of local deformational processes upon polymer texture and morphology. Microhardness is a rather elusive quantity, that is really a combination of other mechanical properties. It is most suitably defined in terms of the pyramid indentation test. Hardness is primarily taken as a measure of the irreversible deformation mechanisms which characterize a polymeric material, though it also involves elastic and time dependent effects which depend on microstructural details. In isotropic lamellar polymers a hardness depression from ideal values, due to the finite crystal thickness, occurs. The interlamellar non-crystalline layer introduces an additional weak component which contributes further to a lowering of the hardness value. Annealing effects and chemical etching are shown to produce, on the contrary, a significant hardening of the material. The prevalent mechanisms for plastic deformation are proposed. Anisotropy behaviour for several oriented materials is critically discussed. 

Chemical etching chemicals are used to eliminate oxides, to attack the surface layer of the material and/or to create reactive sites. The processes depend on the plastics. 

THV Fluoroplastic can be readily bonded to itself and to many plastics and elastomers and unlike other fluoroplastics does not require surface treatment, such as chemical etching or corona treatment. However, in some cases tie layers are required to achieve a good bonding to other materials.92... 

As with other mold operation process mold release agents are usually required because the plastic melt can adhere to the surface of the mold cavity. Molds with very little or no draft usually require a release agent. Like other molding operations, a textured cavity can provide a textured product surface. Most texturing of cavities is by chemical etching so it is important to use the appropriate mold material to create a particular texture. An effective release is needed at the parting line to aid in demolding. 

In the production of printed circuit boards for the electronics industry, a 0.60-mm layer of copper is laminated onto an insulating plastic board. Next, a circuit pattern made of a chemically resistant polymer is printed on the board. The unwanted copper is removed by chemical etching and the protective polymer is finally removed by solvents. One etching reaction is... 

A solid-state nuclear track detector is a piece of special plastic which is exposed as the sensitive element in a radon monitor. The alpha radiation from Rn and RnD, which penetrates the surface of the plastic, causes radiation damage along the entrance path, as shown in the schematic in Fig. 9.26. Chemical etching of the plastic after exposure... 

Figure 3.44. Schematic representation of anisotropic wet chemical etching of GcxSei x- Reproduced with permission from reference 151. Copyright 1985 Society of Plastics Engineers.)...

Some nonconductors, for example polymers like polycarbonates and polystyrenes, must be subjected to a surface treatment prior to activation in order to get good adhesion of palladium nuclei. Surface treatment can include the use of chemical etchings for plastics or reactive gas plasma treatments [56]. 

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