Crosslinkable mixed matrix membranes represent an attractive technology that promises both outstanding separation properties and swelling resistance for the purification of natural gas. This approach relies upon dispersal of a CO2/CH4 size-discriminating zeolite in a crosslinkable polymer, which is resistant to CO2 swelling when crosslinked. The resulting membrane has the potential to separate CO2 from CH4 more effectively than traditional pure polymer membranes, while also providing needed membrane stability in the presence of aggressive CO2-contaminated natural gas streams. Control studies are conducted using the pure crosslinkable polymer to observe the separation properties and swelling resistance. Initial crosslinkable mixed matrix membrane experiments are then performed and result in an increase in membrane productivity, instead of the expected increase in selectivity. Traditionally, this is caused by material incompatibility at the polymer/zeolite interface, so the crosslinkable mixed matrix membranes are characterized to examine this issue. During the material characterization, a new non-ideal transport phenomenon is discovered in the zeolite phase. A model is developed to better understand the transport and predict subsequent experimental results. Once the independent materials are proven to be viable, crosslinkable mixed matrix membranes that show enhancements in both efficiency and productivity and exhibit stability in the presence of aggressive CO2 feeds are created.

Polyimide membranes containing nickel dithiolenes were investigated for the separation of propylene and propane. Permeation and sorption experiments were conducted as well thermal property analyses. Results indicate that the dithiolene has an antiplasticizing effect on the polymers studied. Upon addition of the dithiolene there is a subsequent reduction in the permeability coefficient and the permeability selectivity remains relatively unchanged. There is some evidence of increases in solubility selectivity, but a larger decrease in diffusivity selectivity results in a decrease in the permeability selectivity. Investigation of the thermal and mechanical properties of dithiolene-containing films indicates a reduction in fractional free volume as well as the glass transition temperature when compared to the pure polymer. There is also an increase in the modulus of the films upon addition of the dithiolene. The implications of these results and their correlation with antiplasticization are discussed.

In this study, we want to realize the influence of temperature and mechanical rubbing on the surface free energy and wettability of liquid crystal(LC) of polyimide(PI) thin films. In different surface conditions, we use the LC that was dropped on to the surface of the sample and become stable to explore the wettability of the surface. We also observe the phenomenon and influence of the LC on the PI with increasing surface temperature. We utilize hot stage and contact angle measuring system to obtain the surface free energy to realize the surface of the PI and measure the contact angle of LC in different temperature to realize the wettability of the PI. We found that the increase of the surface temperature leads to the decrease in the surface free energy of the PI and the contact angle of the FLC on the PI. The increase of the surface temperature causes the stabilization in the surface polar energy and the LC contact angle of the unrubbed PI. But the increase of the surface temperature causes the increase in the surface polar energy and the decrease of the LC contact angle of the rubbed PI. In the anti-parallel-direction to the rubbing direction the rubbed PI exhibits better wettability.

In this study, we want to realize the influence of temperature on the ferroelectric liquid crystal flow and rubbing strength on the surface free energy of the polyimide thin film. The rubbing strength is determined by pile impress and the number of rubbing. The surface energy of the samples is measured. On the other hand the ferroelectric liquid crystal flow on the polyimide thin film was observed using a polarizing microscope. We found that the polyimide film treated by rubbing the surface properties will become non-uniformity. When the number of rubbing increased to a certain extent, polar energy is not changed, white disperse energy is continued to show fluctuations. In liquid crystal flow observation, we found that when the polyimide thin film temperature is low, the flow of ferroelectric liquid crystal is relatively slow, and its flow direction is in rubbing direction. When the polyimide thin film temperature is high, ferroelectric liquid crystal has two-dimensional flow. In addition to the direction of the original rubbing direction, but also increased the flow in the direction of the vertical rubbing.

Rubbing on polyimide thin film surface is an important procedure of alignment in the commercial display industry. Present on the surface of friction anisotropy, there will be corresponding to the pre-tiltangle. Monitoring and quality controlling of rubbing procedure will be the major issue. Reflection Anisotropy Spectroscopy is a powerful monitoring technology. Reflection Anisotropy Spectroscopy is a non-destructive detective system. Through optical method we could get property of our samples without damaging. After our process of survey, samples could be used in next manufactured step. In this thesis, we detected that monomers would occur some changes in a small amount in room temperature. We could find those changes effect the peak region of RA spectra and the feature in pretilt angle.

Further crosslinking of the fluorinated polyimide was examined to separate the cure reactions from degradation and to determine the optimum post curing conditions. Glass transition/melting temperatures were ascertained using DSC, while weight loss during curing and Td were determined using TGA. Furthermore, the mechanical properties were measured using an Instron to relate to the thermal properties to find the optimum curing conditions. The polyimide resin exhibited the best post-curing conditions for further crosslinking for 8 hours at 410 degress C based on Tg, thermal stability, and mechanical properties. Blister temperatures, resulting from rapid heating, were obtained by monitoring changes in transverse thickness expansion using two different techniques. Both techniques employed showed similar blister temperatures in relation to the amount of absorbed moisture, regardless of sample size. The polyimide resin exhibited blister temperatures ranging from 225 - 362 degrees C, with 1.7 - 3.0 wt% absorbed moisture, and the polyimide composite had blister temperatures from 246 - 294 degrees C with 0.5 - 1.5 wt% moisture. Weight loss of the fluorinated polyimide and its corresponding polyimide carbon fiber composite under elevated temperature was examined. Weight loss as a function of exposure temperature and time was measured using TGA and by pre- and post-weighing of specimens treated in an oven. Both techniques showed similar weight loss trends as a function of time and temperature, but TGA showed much greater weight loss due to greater surface area to volume (i.e., small sample size). The neat polyimide resin and carbon fiber composite exhibited negligible weight loss at temperatures below 430 degrees C for exposure times up to 20 minutes. Transition-metal carbides were initially synthesized by carbothermal reduction of transition-metal halides and polymer precursor mixtures, at temperatures that range from 900 to 1500 degrees C in an argon atmosphere. TaC was synthesized from TaBr5, as a model carbide for this process. Significant (> 40 vol%) amounts of TaC were formed at reaction temperatures as low as 900 degrees C for one hour, with greater times and temperatures leading to > 90 vol% yield. Universality of method was also proven by using other various transition-metal halide salts (NbBr5, WCl4, and WCl6) with the polyimide.

Polyimide thin films have been widely used in microelectronic and Micro-Electro-Mechanical System applications due to their many excellent characteristics including low dielectric constant, easy processing, good step coverage ability, high heat resistance and chemical resistance. This paper presents the design, fabrication and complete characterization of an innovative capacitive relative humidity (RH) microsensor. The double polyimide thin films adopted in this study function as a capacitance sensing layer and a protecting layer of top electrodes respectively. To improve the humidity sensitivity and responding speed, interlacing out-of-plane electrodes are designed in the RH microsensor. The higher sensitivity ( 1.25 pF/¢HRH ), optimized sensing linearity ( 99.968¢H ) , very low hysteresis ( 0.24 ¢HRH ), excellent stability ( 1.36 ¢HRH ) , high accuracy ( ¡Ó 1.12 ¢HRH ) and fast response ( within 1 seconds ) characteristics of the RH microsensor have been demonstrated in this thesis.

In the present studies we investigated the effects of mechanical rubbing on the surface characteristics of polymer liquid crystal alignment layers. Contact angles of water droplets in contacted with the rubbed polyimide were measured using a surface tension meter, and the surface free energy of the polymer thin films were evaluated. We found that the contact angle of water and surface free energy on rubbed polyimide is anisotropic, and rubbing caused decrease in surface free energy and wettability of the polyimide surface. It was also seen that the contact angle hysteresis and the surface free energy measured in the direction parallel to the rubbing direction is smaller than that in the direction anti-parallel to the rubbing direction. We found that when the pile impression of the velvet fibers is 0.3 mm and the cumulative number of rub is 3 times, the contact angle hysteresis in direction parallel or anti-parallel to the rubbing direction will to be close. Be suitable choosing rubbing conditions, the SSFLCs without zigzag defects was produced. The pretilt angle and the response time of liquid crystal increased with the cumulative number.

The liquid-crystal display because matches to the method is different , common has the TN monitor , the STN monitor , and the MVA monitor . Because these match to the method difference , therefore liquid crystal molecule pretilt angle is also different . Present liquid crystal molecule pretilt angle choice way includes : (1) Chooses the different polyimide material , after specific rubded intensity , but produces specific pretilt angle. (2) Uses low pretilt angle the polyimide material , mixes high pretilt angle according to the different proportion the polyimide material , but achieved accent of the pretilt angle changes . But in this research proposed double alignment layers , takes the first floor by homotropic layers , uses homogenous layers does for the upper formation , the surface free energy of the alignment layer can be easily controlled by adjusting the thickness of the top polyimide layer, similarly may achieve the accent to change liquid crystal molecule pretilt angle the effect . And may compensate the liquid crystal display to be insufficient because of rubbed polyimide , but has the question which dark condition is exposed , has a higher contrast gradient . Because this experiment scope accent changes the effect in liquid crystal molecule higher pretilt angle good , also kneading board various regions liquid crystal molecule pretilt the angle uniformity is higher , therefore may effectively apply on various types homotropic liquid crystal display component , for example: MVA , VA-STN , DSTN liquid-crystal display .

People for long term exposed to an air-conditioned but highly humid environment are vulnerable to hyper-sensitivity or asthma triggered by fungi or dust mites. This thesis aims to develop a high-linearity and low-hysteresis capacitive relative humidity (RH) microsensor to more precisely accommodate the humidity of living spaces. To reduce the hysteresis and enhance the linearity, this research uses not only one polyimide (PI) thin film as a humidity sensing layer but also utilizes another PI thin film as a protecting layer of the top electrodes. To improve further the RH sensitivity and responding speed, interlacing out-of-plane electrodes are designed in the RH microsensor. The main processing steps of the RH sensor developed in this study involve at least five photolithographic and four thin film deposition processes. The influences of sensing area, number of electrode pairs and testing temperature on the sensitivity and sensing linearity of humidity microsensors were investigated. Based on the measurement results, the sensitivity apparently increase as well as the sensing area (2 mm ¡Ñ 2 mm: 0.12 pF/%RH, 3 mm ¡Ñ 3 mm: 0.48 pF/%RH, 5 mm ¡Ñ 5 mm: 1.09 pF/%RH), and decrease with the number of electrode pairs (40 pairs: 0.51 pF/%RH, 20 pairs: 0.4 pF/%RH) and increase with the testing temperature. The thesis has demonstrated that the capacitance of the RH sensor vary from the relative humidity with a very linear relationship (linearity: 98.8%~99.99%) over the range of 30~70%RH. Finally, to increase effectively the surface area and to reduce further the hysteresis, three-dimensional (3D) moisture entrances and exits were designed and a very low hysteresis value (0.5%RH) can be achieved.