Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Darran R. Cairns.
Abstract
Silica based sol gel thin films have become a very popular area of research due to their high degree of variability and ease of manufacturing. They are commonly used as coatings for many applications in the consumer electronics and automotive industries. Some common properties in these thin films include optical transparency, wear resistance, antimicrobial, hydrophobic, electromagnetic, etc.;The coating produced in this research has been tailored to meet three key functions; durability, hydrophobicity, and anti-microbial properties. This coating is created through a three-step sol gel reaction mechanism. The starting chemical, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), yields the final product of a silicon dioxide matrix. During the reaction process, other functional chemicals, including quarternary ammonium salts to increase antimicrobial properties, are incorporated to achieve the desired properties. The sol is then dip coated on to a substrate, glass microscope slide, and then used for further testing.;Testing of these coatings included contact angle analysis to measure the degree of hydrophobicity, reciprocating wear to test the durability of the coating, stylus profilometery to measure the total coating thickness and coating loss as a function of wear, and cell culture studies to determine the efficacy of the anti-microbial agent.
Recommended Citation
DeFusco, Elizabeth E., "Tribological Analysis of Hydrophobic Thin Film with Antimicrobial Properties" (2012). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 3325.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/3325