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Thermal Properties of Plasma Deposited Methyl Methacrylate Films in an Atmospheric DBD Reactor
Author(s) -
Scheltjens Gill,
Da Ponte Gabriella,
Paulussen Sabine,
De Graeve Iris,
Terryn Herman,
Reniers François,
Van Assche Guy,
Van Mele Bruno
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plasma processes and polymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1612-8869
pISSN - 1612-8850
DOI - 10.1002/ppap.201400143
Subject(s) - differential scanning calorimetry , materials science , thermogravimetric analysis , methyl methacrylate , dielectric barrier discharge , thermal stability , analytical chemistry (journal) , glass transition , monomer , atmospheric pressure plasma , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , plasma , dielectric , composite material , chemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , physics , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , engineering
Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is deposited on aluminum substrates using atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge plasma. The thermal properties of plasma deposited MMA (pdMMA) films of 0.5 to 1 μm thickness are evaluated as a function of plasma power and precursor mass feed. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates a low molecular weight fraction in all pdMMA films, which lowers their thermal stability. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to quantify the glass transition ( T g ) and residual reactivity of the pdMMA thin films. For all plasma conditions, the T g remains inferior to conventional PMMA, and ranges from 20 °C in the monomer‐deficient domain to 56 °C in the energy‐deficient domain. A residual reactivity is measured in the first DSC heating of all pdMMA films, showing an exothermicity up to −160 J g −1 .