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Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Thin Films and Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2024) | Viewed by 6806

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan

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NanoCorr, Energy & Modelling (NCEM) Research Group, Department of Design & Engineering, Bournemouth University, Dorset BH12 5BB, UK
Interests: advanced materials; nanocomposite coatings; complex interacting systems; contact mechanics; corrosion; energy conservation; surface engineering; tribology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Adil Saeed

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Department of Design & Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
Interests: sustainability; materials and condition monitoring techniques
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Dr. Mian Hammad Nazir

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Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales, Newport, UK
Interests: condition monitoring; corrosion; mechanics of materials; nanocoatings
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Growing demand and the need for energy efficiency, durability and sustainability has led to the realisation of the major role that surfaces and interfaces play during applications. Significant attention has been devoted to material surfaces, optimisation, and engineering through the latest technological and engineering solutions. Surfaces within static components, structures and complex interacting systems are subject to failures due to fatigue, fracture, stress corrosion cracking, corrosion and wear.

Scientists, engineers and designers have been continually working to optimise surfaces by enhancing materials properties, employing special processes, surface modifications using technologies such as lasers, and surface engineering, employing a range of coating techniques and coatings.

This Special Issue is focused on disseminating and showcasing the latest findings in terms of new developments in material surfaces. Therefore, I welcome original research papers, reviews covering the state of the art (by invite only) and short communications addressing key issues within the context of material surfaces applied in static and interacting operating conditions.

Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan
Dr. Adil Saeed
Dr. Mian Hammad Nazir
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

surfaces
interfaces
surface modifications
surface engineering
wear
corrosion
corrosion fatigue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 7509 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Ageing of μPlasma-Modified Polymers: The Role of Hydrophilicity

by Chang Che, Behnam Dashtbozorg, Shaojun Qi, Matt J. North, Xiaoying Li, Hanshan Dong and Michael J. Jenkins

Materials 2024, 17(6), 1402; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17061402 - 19 Mar 2024

Viewed by 543

Abstract

Thermoplastic polymers exhibit relatively limited surface energies and this results in poor adhesion when bonded to other materials. Plasma surface modification offers the potential to overcome this challenge through the functionalisation of the polymer surfaces. In this study, three polymers of differing hydrophobicity (HDPE, PA12, and PA6) were subjected to a novel, atmospheric, μPlasma surface treatment technique, and its effectiveness at increasing the surface energies was evaluated via measurement of the contact angle. To characterise the physical and chemical changes following μPlasma surface modification, the surface morphology was observed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the functionalisation of the surface was evaluated using infrared spectroscopy. Immediately after treatment, the contact angle decreased by 47.3° (HDPE), 42.6° (PA12), and 50.1° (PA6), but the effect was not permanent in that there was a pronounced relaxation or ageing phenomenon in operation. The ageing process over five hours was modelled using a modified stretched exponential function Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts (KWW) model, and it was found that the ageing rate was dependent on the hydrophilicity of polymers, with polyamides ageing more rapidly than polyethylene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications)

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12 pages, 3980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Influence of PbS Quantum Dot-Decorated TiO₂ Photoanode Thickness on Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production Performance

by Yeonjae Kim, Joo-Won Seo, In-Hee Lee and Jae-Yup Kim

Materials 2024, 17(1), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17010225 - 31 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1026

Abstract

To maximize the photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production performance of quantum dot (QD)-decorated photoelectrodes, it is crucial to prioritize the optimization of electrode’s structure, including thickness and porosity. In this study, we prepare PbS QD-decorated mesoporous TiO₂ photoanodes for PEC hydrogen production, and systematically investigate the influence of the photoanode thickness on optical properties and PEC performances. As the thickness of photoanodes increases from 6.4 µm to 16.3 µm, the light absorption capability is enhanced across the entire visible and near-infrared (IR) spectrum due to the improved loading of PbS QDs. However, the photocurrent density is optimized for the 11.9 µm thick photoanode (15.19 mA/cm²), compared to the 6.4 µm thick (10.80 mA/cm²) and 16.3 µm thick photoanodes (11.93 mA/cm²). This optimization is attributed to the trade-off between the light absorption capability and the efficient mass transfer of the electrolyte as the photoanode thickness increases, which is confirmed by the lowest charge transfer resistance (R_ct) evaluated from the electrochemical impedance data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications)

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17 pages, 5427 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Defects and Oxidation on CNT–Copper Interface: First-Principles Calculation and Experiment

by Boyu Ju, Yubo Zhu, Wenshu Yang, Jinpeng Sun, Haozhe Li, Feng Yuan and Ziyang Xiu

Materials 2023, 16(21), 6845; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16216845 - 25 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 799

Abstract

In this paper, the effects of carbon nanotube defects and a copper surface oxide layer on a carbon nanotube–copper interface were studied via first-principles. A defect-free CNT-Cu interface, Stone–Wales defect CNT-Cu interface, single-hole and double-hole defect CNT-Cu interface, and Cu₂O-Cu interface were simulated and calculated. By simulating the differential charge density, atomic population, bond population and density of states of the interface model, the effects of various defects on the interface bonding and electrical conductivity of the composites during the preparation of the CNT-reinforced copper matrix composites were analyzed, which provided theoretical guidance for the preparation of CNT/Cu composites. After that, copper matrix composites with different CNT defect contents were prepared via different rolling deformation processes. Their hardness and electrical conductivity were tested, and the results were consistent with the results obtained via the first-principles calculations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications)

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13 pages, 9606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on the Interfacial Reactions between Gallium and Cu/Ni/Au(Pd) Multilayer Metallization

by Byungwoo Kim, Chang-Lae Kim and Yoonchul Sohn

Materials 2023, 16(18), 6186; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16186186 - 13 Sep 2023

Viewed by 893

Abstract

This research introduces low-temperature soldering of Ga with practical metallization structures, namely, Cu/Ni/Pd and Cu/Ni/Au, applied to contemporary microelectronic packages. Through these multilayer configurations, the study investigates the stability of the Ni diffusion barrier by examining changes in the interfacial microstructure as Ni is consumed. The interfacial reactions are conducted across a temperature spectrum of 160, 200, 240, and 280 °C, with reaction durations ranging from 30 to 270 min. Valuable insights for low-temperature soldering with Ga are extracted from the data. At lower reaction temperatures, the presence of Ga-rich intermetallic compounds (IMCs), specifically Ga_xNi (x = 89 to 95 at%), on the Ga₇Ni₃ layer is notably confirmed. As the reaction temperature and duration increase, the gradual consumption of the Ni layer occurs. This gives rise to the formation of Ga-Cu IMCs, specifically CuGa₂ and γ3-Cu₉Ga₄, beneath the Ga-Ni IMC layer. Concurrently, the gap between the Ga-Ni and Ga-Cu IMC layers widens, allowing molten Ga to infiltrate. The rate of Ga₇Ni₃ growth follows a time exponent ranging approximately from 1.1 to 1.7. This highlights the significant influence of interface reaction-controlled kinetics on Ga₇Ni₃ IMC growth. The activation energy for Ga₇Ni₃ growth is determined to be 61.5 kJ/mol. The growth of Ga₇Ni₃ is believed to be primarily driven by the diffusion of Ga atoms along grain boundaries, with the porous microstructure inherent in the Ga₇Ni₃ layer providing additional diffusion pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications)

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20 pages, 7869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of a Radial Basis Function Neural Network and Fuzzy Modelling in the Assessment of Surface Roughness in the MDF Milling Process

by Krzysztof Szwajka, Joanna Zielińska-Szwajka and Tomasz Trzepieciński

Materials 2023, 16(15), 5292; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16155292 - 27 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 742

Abstract

Wood-based composites are increasingly used in the industry not only because of the shortage of solid wood, but above all because of the better properties, such as high strength and aesthetic appearance compared to wood. Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is a wood-based composite that is widely used in the furniture industry. In this work, an attempt was made to predict the surface roughness of the machined MDF in the milling process based on acceleration signals from an industrial piezoelectric sensor installed in the cutting zone. The surface roughness parameter Sq was adopted for the evaluation and measurement of surface roughness. The surface roughness prediction was performed using a radial basis function (RBF) artificial neural network (ANN) and a Takagi–Sugeno––Kang (TSK) fuzzy model with subtractive clustering. In the research, as inputs to the ANNs and fuzzy model, the kinematic parameters of the cutting process and selected measures of the acceleration signal were adopted. At the output, the values of the surface roughness parameter Sq were obtained. The results of the experiments show that the surface roughness is influenced not only by the kinematic parameters of the cutting, but also by the vibrations generated during the milling process. Therefore, by combining information on the cutting kinematics parameters and vibration, the accuracy of the surface roughness prediction in the milling process of MDF can be improved. The use of TSK fuzzy modelling based on the subtractive clustering method for integrating the information from many acceleration signal measurements in the examined range of cutting conditions meant the surface roughness was predicted with high accuracy and high reliability. With the help of two tested artificial intelligence tools, it is possible to estimate the surface roughness of the workpiece with only a small error. When using a radial neural network, the root mean square error for estimating the value of the Sq parameter was 0.379 μm, while the estimation error based on fuzzy logic was 0.198 μm. The surface of the sample made with the cutting parameters v_c = 76 m/min and v_f = 1200 mm/min is characterized by a less concentrated distribution of ordinate densities, compared to the surface of the sample cut with lower feed rates but at the same cutting speed. The most concentrated distribution of ordinate density (for the cutting speed v_c = 76 m/min) is characterized by the surface, where the feed rate value was v_f = 200 mm/min, with 90% of the material concentrated in the profile height of 28.2 μm. When using an RBF neural network, the RMSE of estimating the value of the Sq parameter was 0.379 μm, while the estimation error based on fuzzy logic was 0.198 μm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications)

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12 pages, 3962 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Laser Emission Spectroscopy of Graphene Oxide Deposited on 316 Steel and Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloy Suitable for Orthopedics

by Barbara Nasiłowska, Wojciech Skrzeczanowski, Aneta Bombalska and Zdzisław Bogdanowicz

Materials 2023, 16(7), 2574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072574 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1245

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an analysis of carbon (in the form of graphene oxide) deposited on the surface of threads made from stainless steel 316 and titanium alloy Ti6Al4V used in orthopedics using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). The aim of the article is to indicate the possibility of using the LIBS spectra for the study of thin layers, including graphene derivatives and other elements. Stratigraphic measurements allowed the detection of differences in the spectra peaks of individual elements, not only in the surface layer itself and in the native material, but also in the intermediate layer connecting the two layers. Due to the clear difference in the outline of the spectrum of graphene oxide and the spectrum of the native material of the samples analyzed, a clear incorporation of carbon atoms into the surface layer was observed. A factor analysis was performed, which confirmed the incorporation of graphene oxide into the surface layer of the native material of the elements examined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications)

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Review

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42 pages, 582 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrodeposited Zinc Coatings for Biomedical Application: Morphology, Corrosion and Biological Behaviour

by Purificación Tamurejo-Alonso, María Luisa González-Martín and Miguel Ángel Pacha-Olivenza

Materials 2023, 16(17), 5985; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175985 - 31 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1025

Abstract

The improvement of biodegradable metals is currently an active and promising research area for their capabilities in implant manufacturing. However, controlling their degradation rate once their surface is in contact with the physiological media is a challenge. Surface treatments are in the way of addressing the improvement of this control. Zinc is a biocompatible metal present in the human body as well as a metal widely used in coatings to prevent corrosion, due to its well-known metal protective action. These two outstanding characteristics make zinc coating worthy of consideration to improve the degradation behaviour of implants. Electrodeposition is one of the most practical and common technologies to create protective zinc coatings on metals. This article aims to review the effect of the different parameters involved in the electrochemical process on the topography and corrosion characteristics of the zinc coating. However, certainly, it also provides an actual and comprehensive description of the state-of-the-art of the use of electrodeposited zinc for biomedical applications, focusing on their capacity to protect against bacterial colonization and to allow cell adhesion and proliferation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Surfaces and Interactions: Structure, Properties, Processes and Applications)

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