Enhancement of the Mechanical Properties of a Zeolite Based Composite Coating on an Aluminum Substrate by Silane Matrix Modification

Tailoring the wettability of glass using a double-dielectric barrier discharge reactor

A double dielectric barrier discharge reactor operated at a low power frequency of 400 Hz and atmospheric pressure was utilized for regulating the wettability of glass surface. The hydrophobic treatment was performed by plasma polymerization of tetramethylsilane (TMS, in argon gas). The obtained results showed that the TMS coatings formed on the glass substrates without oxygen addition were smooth, uniform films with the maximum water contact angle (WCA) of about 106°, which were similar to those obtained by low pressure, high power frequency plasmas reported in the literature. The addition of oxygen into TMS/Ar plasma gas decreased the WCA and induced the formation of SiOSi and/or SiOC linkages, which dominated the existence of Si(CH₂)_nSi network formed in TMS/Ar (without oxygen) plasma.