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Main Consortia Page Coatings Consortium Sealant Materials Consortium Optical Reflectance and Scattering
Polymer Surface/Interface Consortium
In Colaboration With: Polymers Division Surface & Microanalysis Science Division Materials Science & Engineering Laboratory Chemical Science & Technology Laboratory
Description
The non-stick coating on a frying pan, the coat of paint on a car bumper and the multiple layers of fibers and polymers in a tire -- what keeps them together? In all three cases, it’s the interface region or interphase, the area where the molecules of two materials interact with each other.
The interphase is vital to the durability and performance of nanocomposites, particle-filled materials, paints on plastics and metals, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Recognizing the complexity and importance of the interface/interphase (including film/air interface) on the performance and service life of polymeric systems, NIST and Visteon held numerous meetings and sponsored two workshops in 1997 and 1999 to address the problems on “Characterization and Modeling of the Interface/Interphase of Polymeric Materials and Systems”. As a result of these workshops and further discussion with industry, an Industry/Government Consortium called “Polymer Interphase Consortium” (PIC) was officially formed in December, 2000; PIC became effective on January 18, 2001.
The main objective of PIC is to develop methodologies and metrologies for testing, characterization, and modeling of surface and interphase of polymeric coatings and plastics. There were three projects in Phase I (January 2001 – September 2004) of PIC Consortium: (1) Mechanical Characterization of Polymer Surfaces, (2) Effects of Shear Flow and Thermal Gradients, and (3) Interphase Characterization. Three projects were carefully chosen for the first phase study of the consortium to address the immediate research needs identified by the industry. In Phase I, NIST-PIC Consortium members consist of three NIST laboratories( Building and Fire Research, Chemical Science and Technology, and Materials Science and Engineering), and four industrial partners (Visteon, Dow, PPG, and MTS) from the plastics, paint and automotive parts sectors as well as instrument manufacturers- see technical program and overview of PIC Phase I for more details.
PIC Phase II started October 1, 2004 with 6 members (Visteon, DOW, PPG, MTS, Arkema, Eastman). There are three projects in Phase II: (1) Methodologies for scratch testing and relating scratch morphology to appearance properties of polymeric coatings and plastics, (2) Surface nanomechanical characterization of polymeric coatings and plastics through instrumented indentation, and (3) Application and development of photon-based imaging techniques for characterization of the chemical and morphological microstructure of polymeric materials and interfaces. Materials of interest for Phase II have included automotive clear coat systems, impact modified thermoplastics, and polymer blend architectural coatings. The current PIC members are Dow Chemical, Arkema, Eastman Chemical, and MTS Nano Instruments. In Phase II, there are two NIST Laboratories (Building and Fire Research,and Chemical Science and Technology).
Phase II was completed on March 31, 2008, and Phase III, renamed as PSI (Polymer Surface/Interface) started on January 1, 2009. Pior to the starting of Phase III, a NIST/PIC Wosrshop was held on January 16, 2008. Discussions and research research with prospective industrial partners on areas of interest in the field of polymer surfaces, interfaces, and interphases were taken place during the workshop. Accroding to inputs from interested industrial partners, we have shaped and refined our research plans to develop new methods for chemical, optical, and mechanical characterization of polymer interfaces. In particular, we are interested in combining these technologies to relate material properties to performance. Current PSI members are Eastman Chemical, BYK-USA, IAC North America, and CSM instrument. The new focus projects are (1) Mechanical properties and failure at the surface and interface of polymeric coatings and nanocomposites; and (2) Develop methodologies for characterizing optical properties and scratch resistance assessment for polymeric coatings, plastics, and nanocomposites.
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Date created: 9/01/2000
Last updated: 7/12/2002