The ability to accurately measure surface and interfacial energies affects our understanding of friction, wear, bonding and adhesion. Although there are accurate ways to measure the surface energies of liquids, the surface energies of solids have been harder to characterize. In order to broaden the knowledge of adhesion of solids, a modification to the constrained blister test is proposed. Most of the previous work on constrained blisters has examined the debonding of the blister from the surface underneath as pressure is applied from below. In this thesis, the contact of the constrained blister with the flat surface above it is considered. In addition, the blister is given specified boundary conditions at its outer radius, which has a fixed value. Three models of the blister behavior are considered: linear plate, nonlinear plate, and membrane. The contact of the blister with the substrate above it is modeled with no adhesion, the JKR-type of adhesion, and the DMT-type of adhesion. Several substrate heights are considered, along with several values for the work of adhesion in the JKR analysis, and several combinations of force magnitude and gap size in the DMT analysis. The effect of adhesion on the contact radius is investigated. Sometimes the contact radius changes discontinuously as the pressure is increased or decreased. Results from the three models of blister behavior and the different models of adhesion are compared. / Master of Science

The understanding of topics such as friction, wear, lubrication, and adhesive bonds is dependent on the ability to measure surface and interfacial energies. The surface energies of liquids may be measured accurately using a variety of techniques; however, surface energies of solids are much more difficult to accurately measure. In an attempt to develop a method that can be used to measure surface and interfacial energies of solids, this thesis proposes the use of a elastica. The elastica acts as an extremely flexible beam and provides a structure that will permit measurable deformation of the solid by relatively small surface attractions. The ends of the elastica are lifted, bent, and clamped vertically at an equal height and specified distance apart. They are then moved downward, allowing the strip to make contact with a flat, rigid, horizontal surface. Two adhesion models are investigated. First, a JKR-type analysis, which examines the effect of adhesion forces that exist within the area of contact between the elastica and the rigid surface, is considered. Various values for the work of adhesion are examined. A DMT-type analysis, which assumes that the adhesion forces act in the region just outside of the contact area, is also considered. Results are obtained for linear and constant forces. Various values for the maximum DMT force and the vertical separation between the elastica and the rigid substrate at which the adhesion forces terminate are examined. Results from the two types of analyses are compared. / Master of Science

<p>Wood is often combined with other materials such as thermoplastics, adhesives and coatings. In general, combinations of wood and polymers especially in outdoor exposure have poor long-term durability. This behaviour can be related to an insufficient wood-polymer adhesion due to the low intrinsic compatibility between the wood substance and the polymers used. Another source for woodpolymer de-bonding is the high hygroscopicity of wood and great difference in hygro-thermal properties between the components.</p><p> The basic conceptual idea related to this work is to reduce the hygrosensitivity of wood by applying different wood modification methods, in particular, acetylation, furfurylation and heat treatment. The effects of such chemical modifications of wood, also accompanied with ageing effects, on its adhesion properties with commonly used synthetic polymers are, however, not well understood. In this context, the over-all purpose of this thesis is to achieve a better understanding of wood-polymer adhesion and interfacial forces which also may guide us to tailor the interaction between modified wood and e.g. thermoplastics and adhesives. The main focus of this thesis is therefore to apply contact angle analysis based on the Chang-Qin-Chen (CQC) Lewis acid-base model in order to estimate the work of adhesion (<i>W</i><i>a</i>) between the wood, modified wood and certain polymers. Contact angle measurements on wood samples were performed based on the Wilhelm plate principle. Related to this, an effort was also made to characterize the studied modified wood surfaces according to morphology and chemical composition. The methods that have been used are low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LV-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). </p><p>Results show that so-called interaction parameters can be successfully estimated for prediction of <i>W</i><i>a</i> between wood and polymers using the applied CQC model. Furthermore, such wetting analysis was successfully related to spectroscopic findings of the chemical composition of the wood samples surface. Ageing effects, i.e. the time after preparation of the wood surface, play a central role for the surface characteristics. In most cases, ageing resulted in a significant decrease of <i>W</i><i>a</i> between wood and water and a moderate decrease between wood and thermoplastics. The surface characteristics of acetylated wood were, however, more stable over time compared to unmodified, furfurylated and heat treated wood. The predicted <i>W</i><i>a</i>with the adhesives for heat treated and acetylated wood was increased due to ageing. Future work is planned to involve studies in order to relate such predicted adhesion properties with the actual performance of various wood-polymer systems.</p>

Wood is often combined with other materials such as thermoplastics, adhesives and coatings. In general, combinations of wood and polymers especially in outdoor exposure have poor long-term durability. This behaviour can be related to an insufficient wood-polymer adhesion due to the low intrinsic compatibility between the wood substance and the polymers used. Another source for woodpolymer de-bonding is the high hygroscopicity of wood and great difference in hygro-thermal properties between the components. The basic conceptual idea related to this work is to reduce the hygrosensitivity of wood by applying different wood modification methods, in particular, acetylation, furfurylation and heat treatment. The effects of such chemical modifications of wood, also accompanied with ageing effects, on its adhesion properties with commonly used synthetic polymers are, however, not well understood. In this context, the over-all purpose of this thesis is to achieve a better understanding of wood-polymer adhesion and interfacial forces which also may guide us to tailor the interaction between modified wood and e.g. thermoplastics and adhesives. The main focus of this thesis is therefore to apply contact angle analysis based on the Chang-Qin-Chen (CQC) Lewis acid-base model in order to estimate the work of adhesion (Wa) between the wood, modified wood and certain polymers. Contact angle measurements on wood samples were performed based on the Wilhelm plate principle. Related to this, an effort was also made to characterize the studied modified wood surfaces according to morphology and chemical composition. The methods that have been used are low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LV-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Results show that so-called interaction parameters can be successfully estimated for prediction of Wa between wood and polymers using the applied CQC model. Furthermore, such wetting analysis was successfully related to spectroscopic findings of the chemical composition of the wood samples surface. Ageing effects, i.e. the time after preparation of the wood surface, play a central role for the surface characteristics. In most cases, ageing resulted in a significant decrease of Wa between wood and water and a moderate decrease between wood and thermoplastics. The surface characteristics of acetylated wood were, however, more stable over time compared to unmodified, furfurylated and heat treated wood. The predicted Wa with the adhesives for heat treated and acetylated wood was increased due to ageing. Future work is planned to involve studies in order to relate such predicted adhesion properties with the actual performance of various wood-polymer systems. / QC 20101108

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The measurement of the work of adhesion is of significant technical interest in a variety of applications, ranging from a basic understanding of material behavior to the practical aspects associated with making strong, durable adhesive bonds. The objective of this thesis is to investigate a novel technique using an elastica loop to measure the work of adhesion between solid materials. Considering the range and resolution of the measured parameters, a specially designed apparatus with a precise displacement control system, an analytical balance, an optical system, and a computer control and data acquisition interface is constructed. An elastica loop made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) [PDMS] is attached directly to a stepper motor in the apparatus. To perform the measurement, the loop is brought into contact with various substrates as controlled by the computer interface, and information including the contact patterns, contact lengths, and contact forces is obtained. Experimental results indicate that due to anticlastic bending, the contact first occurs at the edges of the loop, and then spreads across the width as the displacement continues to increase. The patterns observed show that the loop is eventually flattened in the contact region and the effect of anticlastic bending of the loop is reduced. Compared to the contact diameters observed in the classical JKR tests, the contact length obtained using this elastica loop technique is, in general, larger, which provides potential for applications of this technique in measuring interfacial energies between solid materials with high moduli. The contact procedure is also simulated to investigate the anticlastic bending effect using finite element analysis with ABAQUS. The numerical simulation is conducted using a special geometrically nonlinear, elastic, contact mechanics algorithm with appropriate displacement increments. Comparisons of the numerical simulation results, experimental data, and the analytical solution are made. / Master of Science

Content: The present work attempts to analyze the surface and physical properties of leathers finished with cationic and anionic finishing chemicals. The contact angles of liquid drops resting on the leather surface have been used to evaluate surface energy, acidity, basicity components of the surface energy, polarity and work of adhesion. Contact angle values have been measured for chrome tanned and conventionally retanned crust and finished leather made by varying pigment and binder combinations. The wettability of finished leather has been correlated with the contact angle values: the higher the contact angle value the lesser is the wetting observed. Complete wetting can be obtained when the contact angle value is zero i.e. the drop of liquid spreads spontaneously on the surface and partial wetting is obtained when the contact angle value is in between 0and 900. Acrylic binders with different film forming properties, protein, polyurethane and butadiene binders have been combined to prepare different finish formulations.The results have been correlated with wet and dry rub fastness, finish adhesion, vamp flexing value, water vapour permeability and water proofness. It has been observed that when the surface of leather is coated with acrylic binder the contact angle value due to polar solvents(water) , non polar solvents(hexadecane) and moderately polar (DMSO) and methyl iodide show that as the thickness of coating increases, the contact angle value decreases for the base coat and sharply increases when top coat is applied. Top coats have the ability to increase the contact angle and they improve the performance properties of leather such as water resistance, fastness, finish adhesion etc. Cationic and anionic finishing formulations have been compared to study their effect in modifying the surface of finished leather based on contact angle values, wet and dry fastness to circular rubbing and water resistance. It has been observed that leathers finished using anionic finishing technique shows better wet rub fastness and water resistance effect compared to cationic finishing technique. Take-Away: The effect of number of top coats on water contact angle value were determined ,and the experiment showed that the value were decreased gradually at the beginning of the coat because the top coats are water based so during the coating process the hydrophobic nature of the surface of chrome tanned leather have decreased. The experimental result from contact angle value showed that coating with pigments and binders have increased the contact angle value compared to the control crust. It has been observed that leathers finished using anionic finishing technique shows better wet rub fastness and water resistance effect compared to cationic finishing technique.

Due to their ability to confer enhanced surface properties without compromising the properties of the substrate, coatings have become ubiquitous in heavy industrial applications for corrosion, wear, and thermal protection, among others. Kinetic Metallization (KM), a solid-state impact consolidation and coating process, is well-suited for depositing industrial coatings due to its versatility, low substrate heat input, and low cost. The ability of KM coatings to adhere to the substrate is determined by the quality of the interface. The purpose of this study is to develop a model to predict the interfacial quality of KM coatings using known coating and substrate properties. Of the various contributions to adhesion of KM coatings, research suggests that the thermodynamic Work of Adhesion (WAD) is the most fundamental. It is useful to define interfacial quality in terms of the critical strain energy release rate (GC) at which coating delamination occurs. Studies show that GC for a given interface is related to WAD. This study attempts to develop a theoretical model for calculating WAD and understand the relationship between GC and WAD. For a bimetallic interface between two transition metals, WAD can be theoretically calculated using known electronic and physical properties of each metal: the molar volume, V, the surface energy, γ, and the enthalpy of alloy formation, ΔHinterface; ΔHinterface is a function of the molar volume, V, the work function, φ, and the electron density at the boundary of the Wigner-Seitz cell, nWS.WAD for Ni-Cu and Ni-Ti interfaces were 3.51 J/m2 and 4.55 J/m2, respectively. A modified Four-point bend testing technique was used to experimentally measure GC for Ni-Cu and Ni-Ti specimens produced by KM. These tests yielded mean G­C values of 50.92 J/m2 and 132.68 J/m2 for Ni-Cu and Ni-Ti specimens, respectively. Plastic deformation and surface roughness are likely the main reasons for the large discrepancy between GC and WAD. At the 95% confidence level, the mean GC of the Ni-Ti interface is significantly higher than that of the Ni-Cu interface. Further testing is recommended to better understand the relationship between WAD and GC.

Surface energetics play a key role in the delivery of a dry powder inhaler formulation into the lungs, as there must be a sufficient balance of adhesive and cohesive forces to allow optimal lung delivery. In this study, measuring the surface energies of a set of single drug and carrier (budesonide or theophylline with either mannitol or lactose) with different levels of surfactant using Inverse Gas Chromatography, and comparing them to their lung deposition performance using a Next Generation Impactor established a relationship between the two. A 1:10 mixing ratio of budesonide with either carrier was found to have the highest FPF. Coating the carriers with 0.05% sodium lauryl sulphate resulted in a further increase in the FPF when using either budesonide or theophylline as the API, and the same results were seen when a sonocrystallised version of the API was substituted for the micronised form. The calculated IGC values then showed that the highest performing formulations had the lowest dispersive energy and total free surface energy. Furthermore, a trend was observed in the work of adhesion (Wa) and work of cohesion (Wc) for each set of formulations depending on which API was chosen, where for the less polar drug (budesonide) a higher Wa/Wc ratio was associated with the highest formulation performance, and for the more polar drug (theophylline) a smaller Wa/Wc ratio was associated with the highest formulation performance, enabling the estimation of lung performance for a set of single drug and carrier using their surface energy data. / Kuwait’s government and the Ministry of Health of Kuwait

PMMA is a widely used biomaterial especially in the fields of orthopedia, orthodontia and ophthalmology. When biocompatibility is considered, modification of the biomaterials&amp / #8217 / surface may be needed to optimize interactions of the biomaterial with the biological environment. After the surface modifications one of the most important changes that occur is the change in the surface free energy (SFE). SFE is an important but an obscure property of the material and evaluation methods with different assumptions exist in the literature. In this study, SFE of pristine and oxygen plasma modified PMMA films were calculated by means of numerous theoretical approaches (Zisman, Saito, Fowkes, Berthelot, Geometric and Harmonic Mean and Acid-Base) using numerous liquids and the results were compared to each other to elucidate the differences of methods. Dispersive, polar, acidic and basic components of the SFE were calculated by the use of different liquid couples and triplets with the application of Geometric and Harmonic mean methods and Acid-Base approach. The effect of SFE and the components of SFE on the cell attachment efficiencies were examined by using fibroblast cells. It was observed that with the treatment of oxygen plasma, cell attachment capability and hydrophilicity of PMMA surfaces were altered depending on the applied power and duration of the plasma.