Surface Induced Molecular Organization in Polymers - SIMOP
Coordinating Institution:
Université du Luxembourg
Other Partner(s):
Goodyear S.A.
From: 01/03/2010
To: 28/02/2013
Budget: 263,000.00€
Contact(s):
Sanctuary Roland
Summary
Interfacial interactions play a dominant role in a large variety of structural and functional materials. They are made responsible for the emergence of morphologically - and usually property-changed domains which are nowadays called interphases. At best such interphases can significantly improve the physical, chemical and/or technological properties of materials especially of composites or can actually produce completely new properties. The shortcomings in optimizing the physical properties of interphases are due to a lack of fundamental understanding of their emergence, their growth, their stability etc. These shortcomings demand for problem-oriented model systems, for suitable experimental probes which cover the bridge from the structural to the property aspect and for competent partners.
The SIMOP project covers the three challenges: Polymers and especially reactive polymers change their morphology and in turn their functionality at substrate surfaces. Purely chemically stimulated interphases are usually thin within a range of a few nanometers; purely physically induced interphases may extend to some hundreds of micrometers. Prominent examples are interphases in adhesive joints or between different elastomeric components in tires. SIMOP focuses on the creation of surface-induced 2- and 3-dimensional macroscopic interphases in polymers to get access to their transient and final static and dynamic properties. A goal is to conserve the novel properties of the interphases even after removing the structure-stimulating substrates. Interphases also develop in materials functionalized by means of micro–or nanosized fillers.
As a strong and especially competent partner in this field Goodyear Innovation Center Luxembourg takes part in SIMOP. In many cases an experimental access to these interphases is limited by the fact that they occur at inner surfaces. Therefore, in the frame of SIMOP, planar substrate surfaces will tentatively be used as model systems for inner surfaces in composites, if possible. Reactive systems like epoxies or phenol formaldehyde and elastomers will be considered as polymers. Three classes of substrates are in the focus: nanostructured polytetrafluoroethylene (PIA), surface-treated thermoplastics and porous glasses. The application of reactive polymers or elastomer to PIA substrates and porous glasses represents a new approach to create novel kinds of interphases.
Textured interphases are expected to appear when the polymers are applied to anti-adhesive substrates like PIA films or untreated thermoplastics. Especially interesting interphases are expected if the substrate surfaces are 3-D-structured or plasma treated, respectively. The aspect ‘functional’ comes into play when the surface-induced morphological changes within the polymer have a scientific and/or technological value by its own.