Growth of islet carbon coating on nitrogen-activated polyurethane surface

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 497; p. 143706
• Main Authors: Morozov, Ilya A., Kamenetskikh, Alexander S., Scherban, Marina G., Izumov, Roman I., Kiselkov, Dmitriy M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15-12-2019
• Subjects: Activation; Carbon sputtering; Islet coating; Polyurethane; Wrinkling; Wrinkling; Activation; Carbon sputtering; Islet coating; Polyurethane
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.143706

Development of discontinuous (islet) plasma coatings is of interest in the design of materials with non-uniform (selective) surface properties. In comparison with similar continuous coatings, they are more resistant to a damage induced by deformation of an elastic substrate. In this work, a formation of carbon islet coating obtained by a pulsed magnetron sputtering of a graphite target on the surface of nitrogen-activated elastic polyurethane is studied. Roughness, stiffness and surface energy of the polymer substrate are increased after the activation. High surface energy makes possible the adhesion of carbon islets (the size is ~100 μm and the thickness is 4…30 nm). The structure of such coatings depends both on the activation time and on the number of pulses of the magnetron discharge. At the initial stage of formation, the islets consist of individual shards ~1 μm in plane, further carbon deposition covers them by a continuous layer. Certain areas of the islets with a thickness > 10 nm have an inhomogeneous wrinkled surface. The folds are formed at the initial stage of the islet growth, and the subsequent carbon deposition flattens them. Preliminary studies of stretched samples up to 20% showed good fracture toughness of the given coatings.
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•Carbon islets were deposited on nitrogen-activated polyurethane surface.•Structure of the islets depends both on activation and deposition time.•The surface of islets is covered with wrinkles at certain treatment conditions.•In stretching experiment no damage of islet surface was observed.