The objective ofthis research was to investigate how gas plasma treatments can alter the surface morphology of polypropylene (PP) fibres and tape with the main focus of the work on the tape. The morphological changes caused by exposure to controlled argon, nitrogen and oxygen gas plasmas were characterised using both Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The research has demonstrated that the extent of surface deformation was dependent on the treatment gas used and on the process parameters. Surface deformation gradually increases with increasing process time and power. Oxygen plasma was found to be the most aggressive plasma followed by nitrogen, with argon the weakest. Different process parameters used during extrusion have an important effect on the nature of the PP morphology. This thesis also demonstrates how the surface morphology can be altered by different cooling techniques and by drawing the tape once extruded. SPM analysis shows a transformation in the spherulitic morphology from hill to valley shaped spherulites when gravity spun PP tape was cooled in water as opposed to air. Deformation of the spherulitic structure to a fibril struct~re was also observed, which became more apparent from gravity via as-spun to fully drawn tapes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:491457 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Warren, Jamie MacNeill |
| Publisher | Heriot-Watt University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/10399/2150 |
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