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The preparation and characterization of abrasion-resistant coatings on polycarbonate

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Abstract

A series of abrasion-resistant coatings based on methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and methacyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MEMO) were synthesized via a sol–gel method and applied to polycarbonate (PC) substrate. Through a comparison with an uncoated PC substrate, hardness, adhesion, and abrasion resistance of coated PC substrates were investigated. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of these coatings before and after being cured indicated that the crosslinked structure of Si–O–Si was formed via the hydrolysis–condensation reactions of alkoxy silane. The optical test results showed that coated PC substrates possessed higher transmittance and lower haze than uncoated PC substrates. The hardness and adhesion data demonstrated that PC substrates coated with the hybrid coatings (MTMS/TEOS/MEMO coatings) possessed the greatest hardness and optimal adhesion. After 500 wear cycles, the PC substrate with MTMS/TEOS/MEMO coatings showed some grooves and wear tracks without any spallation or delamination, and there was a decrease of only 1.0–1.3% in transmittance and an increase of only 5.68–7.44% in haze. Whereas uncoated PC substrate and substrates with MTMS and MTMS/TEOS (molar ratio is 1.5:1) coatings exhibited a decrease of 3.3, 3.9, and 2.4% in transmittance and an increase of 30.19, 17.42, and 12.35% in haze, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (Grant No. 2007AA03Z534), and the authors appreciate the support. The authors would also like to thank Professor Jun Xu (Tsinghua University) for performing the abrasion tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Aerospace Materials and Performance (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Yu-hong Chen, Li-xiang Liu & Mao-sheng Zhan

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  1. Yu-hong Chen
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  2. Li-xiang Liu
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  3. Mao-sheng Zhan
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Correspondence to Yu-hong Chen.

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Chen, Yh., Liu, Lx. & Zhan, Ms. The preparation and characterization of abrasion-resistant coatings on polycarbonate. J Coat Technol Res 10, 79–86 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11998-012-9430-x

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