The work was focused on the preparation of layered ceramic materials and their characterizations. The direct measurment of weight deposite for enhanced description of one component system was studied within this work. The kinetics of electrophoretic deposition obtained from theoretical calculation and from experimental values were confronted. It was prepared a lot of depositions for described kinetic of electrophoretic deposition with applied constant currents. The relative density and porosity were determined on the annealled and sintered bodies. The hardness measurments were performed on sintered bodies and then resulted values were confronted with the used currents. A ceramic composite based on Al2O3 and ZrO2 was prepared by using of precision describtion of electrophoretic deposition kinetic.

Z důvodu rozdílných koeficientů délkové teplotní roztažnosti jednotlivých vrstev vzniká ve vrstvách keramického vrstevnatého kompozitního materiálů reziduální napětí. V průběhu chladnutí vrstevnatého kompozitu ze slinovací teploty jednotlivé vrstvy smršťují různými rychlostmi v závislosti na velikosti koeficientu délkové teplotní roztažnosti. Jestliže jsou tyto vrstvy spolu pevně spojeny vzniká v jednotlivých vrstvách různě velké trvalé zbytkové napětí. Velikost residuálního napětí je dána objemovým podílem obou složek v kompozitu. Tato práce byla zaměřena na přípravu a popis 7-mi a 9-ti vrstevných keramických laminátů složených ze střídajících se vrstev dvou rozdílných materiálů. Keramické lamináty byly připraveny pomocí metody suspenzního lití a elektroforetické depozice. U připravených laminátu byl sledován vznik tzv. hranových trhlin (edge cracks) ve vrstvách obsahujících tlaková zbytková pnutí. Výsledky pozorování přítomnosti hranových trhlin pro různou konfiguraci velikosti zbytkových napětí a tloušťky vrstev byly srovnány s teoretickou předpovědí vytvořenou pomocí parametrického 2D modelu. Vliv vzniklých hranových trhlin na průběh lomu byl studován pomocí 3D rekonstrukce lomového povrchu po ohybové zkoušce připravených vrstevnatých kompozitů.

Ionic liquids are continuously finding more and more applications, both in research and in the industry. Many attempts have been made to find parameters that could be used to describe all ionic liquid systems. Five years ago a Japanese group applied the work of Gutmann on ionic liquids to use ionic association to describe solvation effects. The group calculated ionic association from conductivity and diffusion measurements. This report presents a direct approach through electrophoretic NMR to measure ionic association in ionic liquids.  The report contains a brief introduction to ionic liquids and their properties as well as a short explanation of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, diffusion NMR and a more detailed explanation of electrophoretic NMR (eNMR). Experimental setups, taken from previous work by the NMR group at Physical Chemistry KTH, have been modified to allow for measurements in ionic liquid systems. The report discusses the issues that can arise when measuring eNMR in ionic liquids and suggests solutions. The method developed is principally built upon experiments on 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium trifluoroacetate and is directly applicable to other ionic liquid systems. For more viscous systems than the one investigated here, slight changes will need to be made, as explained in the report.  In order to evaluate the method developed during the project the degree of association for 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium trifluoroacetate has been calculated from experimental results and results in similar values as reported by Tokuda et al.. Furthermore, the temperature variation due to Joule heating during a complete eNMR experiment was also investigated by observing change in chemical shift.

PNIPAM (poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide)) is a well-known thermoresponsive polymer. Dissolved in water, it shows a structural change at 32 oC, above which the polymer folds together, and a phase separation occurs. The temperature where the polymer changes structure is known as the LCST (Lower Critical Solution Temperature), and can be modified by adding certain salts to the solution [1]. The mechanism by which the ionic components of the salts affect the LCST is not yet completely understood. The purpose of this master thesis is to study this mechanism. In order to investigate the mechanism, a combination of diffusion NMR and electrophoretic NMR was used, giving the effective charge per molecule which is directly proportional to the grade of association of ions to the polymer. The salts tested were: NaCl, NaClO4, NaSO4, NaI, NaSCN and CaCl2 from which the ClO4-, SCN-, and I- ions, as well as Cl- ions from CaCl2, were found to bind to PNIPAM.

The thesis was focused on preparation of bioceramic composite materials containing Ca-phosphates and zirconia fibers using electrophoretic deposition. A series of experiments were aimed at determining the appropriate composition of the suspensions. High-energy milling was used for preparing deposits with good physical and mechanical properties using EPD. The influence of milling time, the amount of monochloroacetic acid in isopropanol slurry indifferent electrolyte LiCl and ZrO2 were evaluated on the course deposition and the resulting properties of the deposits. Influence of sintering temperature, the milling time and the fiber content of ZrO2 on the chemical and structural composition was determined by X-ray analysis, measurement of density and structural analysis using a scanning electron microscope. Mechanical and bioactive properties of sintered deposits were determined depending on the milling time and content of ZrO2 fibers.

The doctoral thesis is orientated to preparation of advanced ceramic materials by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The vertical mode of EPD in constant current regime was used in this study. The morphology of prepared materials (image structural analysis), physical properties (EPD yields, relative density, roughness of deposit surface) and mechanical properties (hardness, fracture toughness, elastic module) were characterized on the prepared deposits from alumina (Al2O3), zirconia (ZrO2) or their composites. It was found that the surface charge of alumina or zirconia particles was opposite (inversion charge) in stabilized isopropanolic dispersions than in case of water dispersions. The model of alumina or zirconia particles “inverse” stabilization was proposed. This type of EPD was further studied in presence of different acidic stabilizers. The obtained results from the experimental work (-potential and electric conductivity of dispersions, EPD yields, relative density of deposits, roughness of deposit surface etc.) showed the monochloracetic acid as the optimal type of acidic stabilizer. The kinetic of EPD process from dispersions containing isopropanol, monochloracetic acid and Al2O3 or ZrO2 particles and its influence on the final properties of prepared deposits was studied. The new method of kinetic measurement was developed. Due to good knowledge of EPD kinetic the ceramic laminates (Al2O3/ZrO2) with optimized layer thickness were prepared. The internal stresses and their influence on crack trajectory in ceramic laminates contained 100-150 strongly bonded layers were studied. It was found that the dominant role of crack deflection played the internal compressive stresses, i.e. with increasing of amount of internal compressive stresses the crack deflection was also increased. This work brought a new knowledge in the area of non-aqueous ceramic dispersion stabilization and preparation of heterostructured ceramic materials.

No description available.

The global market for fluoropolymers, including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), is growing rapidly due to their copious applications in the construction, automotive, medical, chemical, and electrical industries. Fluoropolymers owe their popularity partly to their excellent chemical and thermal stability and useful mechanical, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties. They are made into films or coatings that are used for corrosion protection or surface property enhancement. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) has generated increasing interest in manufacturing advanced films for various applications due to its low cost, versatility, simple apparatus, and good film quality compared with other deposition techniques like dip coating, spin coating, electrospinning, or spay coating. Moreover, EPD facilitates uniform deposition on the substrates of complex shapes at a high deposition rate. The aim of this research is to develop novel biomimetic strategies for fabricating polymer films and their composite films with multifunctional particles through EPD. This method involves the electrophoresis of charged particles in a stable colloidal suspension towards an electrode, forming deposition. Fluoropolymers, however, are electrically neutral and chemically inert, and their EPD presents difficulties. Therefore, successful EPD depends on understanding how to modify the surface of polymer particles using advanced biosurfactants to impart charge and form a well dispersed, stable colloidal suspension. One strategy is to leverage the unique dispersing power of bile acids and salts as biosurfactants for EPD of PTFE and PVDF films and composite films. When doing so, it was found that the amphiphilic structure of bile salts such as sodium deoxycholate (DChNa) facilitated adsorption on the chemically inert, hydrophobic surfaces of PTFE, diamond, and carbon dots. In this strategy, DChNa acted as a charging, dispersing, film-forming agent for the co-deposition of PTFE composite films from an aqueous suspension. Water insoluble bile acids (BAs) were found to be biosurfactants for the EPD of PTFE and PVDF from organic solvents, in which lithocholic acid (LCA) was used as a co-dispersant for the fabrication of composite PTFE-diamond coatings and PTFE coatings provided corrosion protection for stainless steel in 3% NaCl solutions. The dispersing performance of four other bile acids, chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA), ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), and cholic acid (ChA), was analyzed and compared with LCA on the deposition performance of PVDF. It was found that the PVDF deposition yield obtained using different BAs increased in the order of LCA<CDCA<DCA<UDCA<ChA. This was attributed to the difference in number, position, and orientation of OH groups in the structures of the BAs. Another biomimetic strategy for the EPD of polymers and composites was inspired by the strong adsorption of mussel protein on rock surfaces in sea water. Catecholate-type molecules, caffeic acid (CA) and catechol violet (CV), were found to be biosurfactants for dispersing, charging, and depositing PVDF films and composites. Analyses of the deposition yield data, the chemical structure of the CA and CV, and the microstructure and composition of the films suggested that the aromatic rings on the CA and CV had hydrophobic interactions with the PVDF particles and that the phenolic groups formed bidentate chelating or bridging bonding to inorganic particle surfaces. The study demonstrated the feasibility of co-depositing PVDF with nanoparticles of TiO2, MnO2, and NiFe2O4. CA was also used for preparing PVDF-HFP particles and as a co-dispersant for the co-deposition of PVDF-HFP with NiFe2O4 and CuFe2O4 nanoparticles in order to make composite films that combine the ferrimagnetic properties of spinel ferrites with the multifunctional properties of ferroelectric polymers. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Novel electrodeposition strategies have been developed for the fabrication of thick adherent zirconia ceramic and composite coatings for biomedical applications. The new method is based on the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of polyelectrolyte additives combined with the cathodic precipitation of zirconia. The method enables the room- temperature electrosynthesis of crystalline zirconia nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. Adherent crack-free coatings up to several microns thick were obtained. The deposits were studied by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Obtained results pave the way for electrodeposition of other ceramic-polymer composites. Novel advanced nanocomposite coatings based on bioceramic hydroxyapatite (HA) have been developed for the surface modification of orthopaedic and dental implant metals. HA nanoparticles prepared by a chemical precipitation method were used for the fabrication of novel HA-chitosan nanocomposite coatings. The use of chitosan enables room-temperature fabrication of the composite coatings. The problems related to the sintering of HA can be avoided. A new electrodeposition strategy, based on the EPD of HA nanoparticles and electrochemical deposition of chitosan macromolecules, has been developed. The method enabled the formation of dense, adherent and uniform coatings of various thicknesses in the range of up to 60μm. Bioactive composite coatings containing 40.9-89.8 wt% HA were obtained. The deposit composition and microstructure can be tailored by varying the chitosan and HA concentrations in the deposition bath. A mathematical model describing the formation of the HA-chitosan composite deposit has been developed. X-ray studies revealed preferred orientation of HA nanoparticles in the nanocomposites. Obtained coatings provide corrosion protection of the substrates and can be utilized for the fabrication of advanced biomedical implants. For further functionalization of the HA-chitosan composite coating, Ag and CaSi03 have been incorporated into the coating. Novel HA-Ag-chitosan and HA-CaSiO3-chitosan nanocomposite coatings have been deposited as monolayers, laminates, and coatings of graded composition. The obtained results can be used for the development of biocompatible antimicrobial coatings with controlled Ag+ release rate, and nanocomposite coatings with enhanced bioactivity. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Advanced dispersants were discovered for the fabrication of homogeneous suspensions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), graphene, and manganese dioxide (MnO2) in both ethanol and water. Thin films of MWCNT, graphene, MnO2, composite films of MWCNT-MnO2 and MWCNT-graphene were prepared using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and electrolytic deposition (ELD) methods. The mechanisms of dispersion and deposition were investigated. Cathodic EPD was achieved for MWCNT and graphene using positively charged dispersants. Co-deposition of MWCNT and MnO¬2 was performed using a co-dispersant, which dispersed both MWCNT and MnO2 in ethanol. Composite films were tested for electrochemical supercapacitor (ES) purposes. Pulse ELD was used to deposit porous MnO2 coatings on Ni foam substrates from KMnO4 solutions. Cathodic deposition offered advantages, compared to anodic deposition, because the problems, related to anodic dissolution of metallic substrates, can be avoided. The pulse ON/OFF times had significant influence on the morphology and structure of MnO2 films, which further determined the capacitive performance. The influence of MnO2 film thickness on specific capacitance was investigated. Porous and conductive vanadium nitride (VN) was synthesized using melamine as a reducing agent. To further improve film conductivity and specific surface area, MWCNT were incorporated into VN matrix during synthesis. VN-MWCNT composite electrodes and VN-MWCNT/MnO2-MWCNT asymmetric supercapacitor cells were fabricated and tested. The electrodes and cells exhibited excellent electrochemical capacitive performance with good cyclic stability. The asymmetric supercapacitor device showed a voltage window up to 1.8 V, which was the combination of voltage window of VN-MWCNT (-0.9 V--0 V) and MnO2-MWCNT (0 V--0.9 V). Polypyrrole (PPy) coated MWCNT were synthesized in ethanol with ammonium peroxydisulfate solution as an oxidant. The effects of dopants to PPy morphology and conductivity was investigated. Dopants with electrochemical active groups were selected for the synthesis of PPy nanoparticles, where dopants also contributed to the capacitance of the polymer based materials. Both PPy-MWCNT/PPY-MWCNT symmetric supercapacitors and VN-MWCNT/PPY-MWCNT asymmetric supercapacitors were fabricated and tested, where the voltage windows were 0.9 V for the former and 1.3 V for the later. The increase of voltage window was ascribed to the asymmetric structure and negative voltage window of VN-MWCNT composite. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)