Rapid Cellulose Hydrophobization Using Hydrogen Atom Afterglow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for hydrophobizing cellulose surfaces, such as using hydrophobic coatings or gaseous plasma, pose ecological hazards and are time-consuming, while hydrogen plasma treatments risk damaging the polymer structure due to long treatment times and energetic photons.
Innovation Solution
Treatment of cellulose materials with hydrogen atoms in an atmosphere devoid of energetic photons and charged particles, achieving rapid hydrophobization within seconds by replacing hydroxyl groups with olefin groups, using hydrogen plasma afterglow or heated tubes to generate hydrogen atoms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrogen plasma is used to treat cellulose materials, then hydrophobization is achieved, but polymer damage occurs due to long treatment times and energetic photons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful components (energetic photons and charged particles) from the hydrogen plasma treatment process, utilizing only the beneficial hydrogen atoms in the afterglow phase. This separation allows hydrophobization to occur without the damaging effects of full plasma exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action by treating cellulose materials during the afterglow phase of hydrogen plasma cycles, when hydrogen atoms are present but energetic photons and charged particles have dissipated. This temporal separation enables hydrophobization without polymer damage.
2Loss of time
If gaseous plasma is used for hydrophobization, then treatment time is reduced, but ecological hazards arise from fluorinated gases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by using hydrogen plasma instead of fluorinated gas plasma. This parameter change maintains the rapid treatment time benefit while eliminating the ecological hazards associated with fluorinated gases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful afterglow phase (which could cause damage) into a beneficial treatment window by timing the cellulose exposure to occur only when hydrogen atoms are present but energetic photons have dissipated, achieving fast treatment without harm.
3Reliability
If wet chemical methods are used for hydrophobization, then reliability is improved, but ecological hazards increase and treatment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wet chemical methods with a physical/physical-chemical approach using hydrogen atom deposition. This substitution eliminates the need for liquid surfactants and hydrophobic coatings, reducing treatment time while maintaining reliability and avoiding ecological hazards of chemical substances.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Minimizes polymer damage and achieves suitable surface wettability with water contact angles between 70 and 120°, suitable for polymer composites and paper products, without ecological hazards or long treatment times.
Implementation Method 1
achieving rapid hydrophobization within seconds by replacing hydroxyl groups with olefin groups
Implementation Method 2
using hydrogen plasma afterglow or heated tubes to generate hydrogen atoms
Implementation Method 3
using hydrogen plasma afterglow or heated tubes to generate hydrogen atoms
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to methods for the treatment of cellulose or cellulosecontaining materials. Said materials treated according to the methods of the invention ensure appropriate hydrophobicity, which is necessary for the suppression of the mismatch in surface wettability of cellulose and surface tension of the liquid polymer useful for the synthesis of the cellulose-enforced polymer composites. The methods enable the adjustable contact angle of a water droplet deposited onto smooth cellulose materials or cellulose powder between about 70 and 120°. The methods of the invention employ hydrogen atoms as reactants for substituting the hydroxyl surface function groups with olefine groups. The maximum water contact angle is obtained after treating cellulose foils with H atoms of doses between about 1021 and 1023 m-2. The method does not release by-products except minute amounts of water vapor, so it is regarded as ecologically friendly for rapid hydrophobization of cellulose or cellulosecontaining materials. The methods do not change other functional properties like composition and structure of the bulk material, since the cellulose materials are not treated with energetic particles likely to be formed in hydrogen plasma, such as UV and VUV photons and positively charged ions.