ACTIVATION AS A PREAMBLE FOR SURFACE ENHANCEMENT COATING

SUFACE PASSIVATION LAYERS SUCH AS DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON ARE OFTEN PRODUCED ON LASER WINDOWS, WIND SHIELDS OF HYPERSONIC AIRCRAFT, FIBER OPTICS AND MANY OTHER SURFACES. DESPITE ATTRACTIVE PROPERTIES OF THE COATING MATERIALS, LACKING OF PROPER ADHESION BETWEEN HOST AND COATING MATERIAL FREQUENTLY LIMITS THE USEFULNESS OF THE COATING TECHNIQUES. THE PROPOSED PROCESS IS A PRE-TREATMENT TECHNIQUE WHICH PREPARES THE SUBSTRATE SURFACE FOR THE FORMATION OF CHEMICAL COVALENT BONDS WITH THE COATING MATERIAL FOR DRASTIC ENHANCEMENT OF SURFACE ADHESION. A MICROWAVE INDUCED PLASMA DISCHARGE IMPARTS ENGERY TO A SUITABLE IONIC SPECIES WHICH THEN STRIPS ATOMS FROM THE SURFACE LAYER AND CREATES FREE ARADICALS ON THE SUBSTRATE SURFACE. THESE FREE RADICALS, IN TURN FORM COVALENT BONDS WITH THE COATING MATERIAL APPLIED SUBSEQUENTLY. THE EXISTENCE OF STRONG CHEMICAL BONDS CAN PREVENT THE COATING MATERIAL FROM EVER SEPARATING FROM THE SUBSTRATE SURFACE. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS DESIGNED TO STUDY AND VERIFY THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE WHICH INVOLVES SURFACE ATOM REMOVAL AND FORMATION OF CHEMICAL BONDS. SUBSTRATE MATERIALS USED WILL INCLUDE POLYCARBONATE, FLUORCARBONDS, POLYIMIDE, SILICONE,SILICA AND OTHER MATERIALS. PRELIMINARY TEST RESULTS SHOW THAT SILICON RUBBER CAN BE ATTACHED TO TEFLON SURFACE WITH SUCH STRENGTH THAT IT CAN NOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT CUTTING OFF PART THE TEFLON SURFACE.