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6472 |
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Surface finishing and coating of polymer composites made of recycled materials |
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Jussi Laurila* / Tampere University, Finland Tommi Varis / Tampere University, Finland Petri Vuoristo/ Tampere University, Finland |
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This work is focused on the optimization of surface finishing by thermal spray metallisation of the remanufactured polymer composite parts based on recycled fibers. The surface of the coatings produced here will aim at imparting new added-value functionalities to the remanufactured recycled parts, such as anti-scratch and other specific properties. The samples to be coated within this work were made partly of virgin fibers and partly of recycled fibers obtained from waste material. The resin used to compact the specimens was polyester. Two kinds of base materials were coated within these studies: substrates obtained by a continuous rolling process and samples obtained by mould with 1.5 kg/cm2 pressure used for specimen compaction. Specimens were coated by using electric wire arc and powder flame spraying. PVD magnetron sputtering was also used in order to evaluate its possibility for improving the adhesion of the thermally sprayed layers. To get understanding of the processes, coating formation on the surface and final quality of the coatings, different process parameters were utilized and optimized, including surface and the process temperature, and spray gun parameters. Appropriate surface preparation treatments were applied on the surface of the specimens prior to coating deposition to allow improved adhesion with the substrate. The nature of formed coatings was evaluated with mechanical tests and characterized using XRD, SEM and EDX analyses together with optical microscopy and measurements of optical surface profiles of the coatings. |