Adhesion-Induced Interactions between Micron-Sized Zirconia or Carbon Spheres and Melamine-Cross-Linked Polyester Surfaces

Abstract

The thermodynamic work of adhesion between micron-sized zirconia or carbon spheres and polyester–melamine surfaces was determined using the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) relationship, after first validating the JKR approach for this system. The calculated works of adhesion for both zirconia and carbon were similar for any given substrate composition and were found to be approximately 35 mJ/m² at low melamine concentrations, close to theoretical predictions. The apparent work of adhesion decreased with increasing melamine concentration, most likely due to the presence of a glassy melamine-rich surface layer, which is not representative of the bulk. The value found for low melamine concentration was assumed to be a true value for cocondensed polyester–melamine, and this was used to estimate surface modulus and the amount of excess melamine in the surface as a function of bulk composition.

Keywords:

• Cross-linked polyesters
• JKR
• Particle adhesion
• Sphere-
• surface interactions
• Surface structure

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the Australian Research Council, BlueScope Steel Ltd., and the University of Wollongong for funding this work.

Notes

One of a Collection of papers honoring Liliane Léger, the recipient in February 2007 of the Adhesion Society Award for Excellence in Adheion Science, Sponsored by 3M.