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A conformal oxidation-resistant, plasma-polymerized coatingA comparative study was made of the surface recession (etching) of thin films of plasma polymerized tetrafluoro ethylene (PPTFE), polytetrafluoro ethylene (PTFE), and ion-beam sputter deposited polytetrafluoro ethylene (SPTFE) exposed to ground-state atomic oxygen downstream from a nonequilibrium radio-frequency O2 plasma. At 22 C, the etch rates for PTFE, SPTFE, and PPTFE were in the ratio of 8.7:1.8:1.0. A thin, conformal coating of PPTFE (etch rate of 0.3 nm/h at 22 C) was found to protect an underlying cast film of a reactive polymer, cis-1,4 polybutadiene, against ground-state atomic oxygen attack for the time required to fully etch away the PPTFE coating. From ESCA analysis, PTFE exhibited only minor surface oxidation (uptake of 0.5 atom percent O) upon etching, its F/C ratio decreasing slightly from 2.00 to 1.97; PPTFE exhibited considerable surface oxidation (uptake of 5.9 atom percent O) intermediate between those of PTFE and PPTFE, with a decrease in F/C ratio from 1.73 to 1.67. A plasma-polymerized fluorocarbon coating such as PPTFE might be useful for space applications to protect polymers that are vulnerable to oxidation or degradation by oxygen atoms.
Document ID
19910014750
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Golub, Morton A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Wydeven, Theodore
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Lerner, Narcinda R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1991
Publication Information
Publication: NASA, Washington, Technology 2000, Volume 2
Subject Category
Nonmetallic Materials
Accession Number
91N24063
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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