Clarizza Watson

Particle‐Induced X‐Ray Emission (PIXE) Of Silicate Coatings On High Impact Resistance Polycarbonates

Particle‐Induced X‐ray Emission (PIXE) analysis was employed to characterize hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) C32H60O19 polymer film via areal density measurement on silicon‐based substrates utilizing the differential PIXE concept, and compared with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) results. It is demonstrated in this paper that PIXE and RBS measurements both yield comparable results for areal densities ranging from 1018 atom/cm2 to several 1019 atom/cm2. A collection of techniques including PIXE, RBS, tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM), and contact angle analysis were used to compute surface free energy, analyze surface topography and roughness parameters, determine surface composition and areal density, and to predict the water affinity and condensation behaviors of silicates and other compounds used for high impact resistance vision ware coatings. The visor surface under study is slightly hydrophilic, with root mean square of surface roughness on the order of one nm, and surfac...