Hae Woong Yang

Melt rheology of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/low density polyethylene (LDPE) blends

The aim of this work is to study the rheological properties of PVDF/LDPE blends in the molten state, in relation to shear rate, shear stress and temperature. Blends of LDPE and PVDF at different compositions, namely PVDF/LDPE = 0/100, 30/70, 50/50, 70/30, 100/0 were realized. The blends were prepared by using brabender plastograph and measurements were carried out by using capillary rheometer. For studying the viscous properties non-Newtonian index n, true viscosity η and the flow activation energy E were determined. The melt elasticity has been studied in term of die swell ratio B. The results show that PVDF/LDPE blends behave in pseudo-plastic manner (n < 1), plots of true viscosity versus blending ratio go through a minimum nearly at blending ratio (50/50), and the flow activation energy decreases with increasing shear rate at the wall γ but it increases with increasing true shear stress τ. The results of die swell ratio show that, B increases linearly with increasing true shear stress τ, while B decreases with increasing L/R. It was also found that a maximum of elastic properties is observed at certain blending ratio. This phenomenon can be attributed to the amount of elastic deformation energy stored in the melt flow and its transition due to the viscoelastic difference between the two phases.

Toward a nearly defect-free coating via high-energy plasma sparks

A nearly defect-free metal-oxide-based coating structure was made on Al-Mg-Si alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation at high current density accompanying high-energy plasma sparks. The present coatings were performed at two different current densities of 50 and 125 mA/cm2 in the alkaline-phosphate-based electrolytes with different concentrations of sodium hexafluoroaluminate (Na3AlF6). The addition of (Na3AlF6) to the electrolyte used in this study would result in a decrease in the size of the micropore, and a reasonably defect-free coating structure was achieved in the sample treated at high current density of 125 mA/cm2. This was attributed mainly to the hydrolysis of AlF63− triggered by intense plasma sparks, which resulted in a uniform distribution of fluorine throughout the coating. Accordingly, the corrosion performance of the coating formed in the electrolyte containing 1.5 g/L Na3AlF6 at 125 mA/cm2 was improved significantly as confirmed by electrochemical impedance analysis. In addition, the formation mechanism of the nearly defect-free coating in the presence of Na3AlF6 was discussed.

Electron donor and acceptor agents responsible for surface modification optimizing electrochemical performance

The electrochemical roles of electron-donor and -acceptor agents in surface reforming of magnesium alloy were investigated via plasma electrolysis. The surface modification was performed in an aluminate-based electrolyte, having urea and hydrazine with inherent molecular structures, which might act as electron acceptor and donor during plasma-assisted electrochemical reaction. The presence of hydrazine working as donor would promote the formation of magnesium aluminates in the oxide layer, resulting in superior compactness of the oxide layer to that when urea was used as the working as acceptor since the precipitation of MgCO3 was favored in the electrolyte with urea. The thickness of the oxide layer formed by a combination of urea and hydrazine was higher than urea, while the porosity was higher than hydrazine. The electrochemical performance was enhanced in the order of hydrazine, urea and hydrazine combined, and urea, which was discussed on the basis of impedance interpretation.