MIT Libraries logoDSpace@MIT

MIT
View Item 
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Libraries
  • MIT Theses
  • Undergraduate Theses
  • View Item
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Libraries
  • MIT Theses
  • Undergraduate Theses
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Surface wettability studies of PDMS using flame plasma treatment

Author(s)
Wang, Xin C
Thumbnail
DownloadFull printable version (3.795Mb)
Other Contributors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Advisor
David E. Hardt.
Terms of use
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
The flame plasma treatment studied in this thesis was able to oxidize the surface of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in a fraction of a second. It was found to be a much faster way to modify PDMS surface wettability than the current technologies. The surface wettability of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treated with flame plasma was studied. The surface wettability was characterized by contact angle measurements using water and a surface tension liquid as the probe liquids. Two experimental parameters were varied in this investigation: a) distance from the PDMS surface to the inner flame cone; b) the dwell time of the PDMS under the flame. The study concluded that the same surface wettability can be achieved through different combinations of distance and dwell time. The shortest dwell time needed to induce a contact angle of 100 or less on the treated PDMS surface in this experimental setup was approximately 0.18 second. This study also found that over treatment of the PDMS surface in the flame plasma yielded a reversal treatment effect and decreased the surface wettability. The flame plasma yielded uniform contact angle measurements within 15% across the PDMS surface. The recovery mechanism in the treated PDMS surfaces was dominated by the diffusion of untreated polymers from the bulk PDMS to the treated surface. The results from this investigation demonstrated the potential for the flame plasma treatment to be used in rapid manufacturing of PDMS microfludic devices.
Description
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2009.
 
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
 
Includes bibliographical references (p. 30).
 
Date issued
2009
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/54483
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Mechanical Engineering.

Collections
  • Undergraduate Theses

Browse

All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

My Account

Login

Statistics

OA StatisticsStatistics by CountryStatistics by Department
MIT Libraries
PrivacyPermissionsAccessibilityContact us
MIT
Content created by the MIT Libraries, CC BY-NC unless otherwise noted. Notify us about copyright concerns.