PASSIVATION COATING OF REACTIVE SURFACES VIA RF PLASMA POLYMERIZATION AND FLUORINATION

RF PLASMA DISCHARGE REACTORS WILL BE EMPLOYED TO DEPOSIT ANTICORROSIVE COATINGS AS PROTECTIVE LAYERS FOR A VARIETY OF SURFACE REACTIVE MATERIALS. SPECIFICALLY, THE COATINGS EMPLOYED WOULD INVOLVE EITHER DIRECT FLUORINATION OR PLASMA POLYMERIZED DEPOSITION OF PERFLUOROCARBONS MOLECULES. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING PROTECTION FORM OXIDATIVE DEGRADATION,THESE COATINGS PROVIDE EXCELLENT MOISTURE PROTECTION AS THEY ARE EXTREMELY HYDROPHOBIC. THE PROPOSED STUDIES ARE BASED ON RECENT OBSERVATIONS FROM POLYTRONIX, INC.'S LABORATORIES OF THE OXIDATION RESISTANCE OF THESE PERFLUOROCARBON COATINGS TO ATTACK BY STRONG OXIDANTS INCLUDING SUCH SPECIES AS OZONE AND O((3)P) ATOMS. FURTHERMORE, THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THESE COATINGS CAN BE APPLIED TO A VARIETY OF SUBSTRATES UNDER APPROPRIATE PLASMA CONDITIONS. THE PHASE I RESEARCH EFFORT DESCRIBED CENTERS ON A MORE QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF THESE FILMS ALONG WITH A DETERMINATION OF THEIR CORROSION RESISTIVITY. THE CHARACTERIZATION WORK WILL INCLUDE VARIOUSSPECTROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS, PARTICULARLY FR-IR, ESCA AND SEM. THE CORROSION RESISTIVITY WILL INCLUDE MONITORING THE MORPHOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES OF THESE FILMS ON EXPOSURE TO VARIOUS CHEMICALS BUT, PARTICULARLY, ONEXPOSURE TO KNOWN CONCENTRATIONS OF O((3)P) ATOMS.