Thermoresponsive polymer layers offer the possibility of preparing smart surfaces with properties that are switchable through a phase transition, usually close to the lower critical solution temperature of the polymer. In particular, poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) has gained a great deal of attention because it has such a phase transition in a physiologically interesting temperature range. We have prepared ultrathin thermoresponsive coatings by grafting pNIPAM on a plasma-CVD-deposited, poly(ethylene oxide)-like polymer substrate that was activated in an Ar plasma discharge to initiate the grafting. The presence and integrity of pNIPAM was verified by XPS and ToF-SIMS, and a dramatic change in the wettability during the phase transition was identified by temperature-dependent contact angle measurements. The transition from the hydrated to the collapsed conformation was analyzed by temperature-dependent QCM measurements and by AFM. An unusual, reversible behavior of the viscoelastic properties was seen directly at the phase transition from the swollen to the collapsed state. The phase transition leads to a switching from protein repulsion to a state that allows the adsorption of proteins.

New diffusion brazing alloys for single crystalline component repair processes were developed and tested. Germanium was used as the melting point depressing element in these binary brazing alloys with germanium contents between 20 to 23 wt.%. Microstructural analysis has shown that the formation of a single crystalline joint was achieved after extended brazing cycles with these brazing alloys. No secondary phases other than the desired γ´ precipitates were detected within the brazing zone. This result was shown for two parent materials, PWA 1483 and René N5, a first and a second generation superalloy, respectively. The solidification mechanisms and kinetics were examined and show rather distinct deviations from Transient Liquid Phase Bonding theory for binary systems due to the multicomponent diffusion in the present system. Mechanical testing was performed at room temperature via nanoindentation and at elevated temperatures by hot tensile tests. The nanoindentation results show minor differences in hardness and elastic modulus between brazing joints and parent material. Ultimate tensile strengths of more than 90 % compared to the parent material were obtained in tensile testing at 980 °C.

Brazing is a well established repair technique for high temperature components in both industrial gas turbines and aero engines. Conventional nickel base braze alloys contain boron or silicon as melting point depressing elements. The major benefit of boron and silicon compared to other melting point depressants is its large effect on the melting point and its high diffusion coefficient in nickel base superalloys. However these elements promote precipitation of undesired brittle phases during the brazing process. To avoid these phases, transient liquid phase bonding in combination with boron and silicon free brazing alloys will be examined in this work. The influence of the brazing temperature on solidification and diffusion behaviour during transient liquid phase bonding for a single crystalline first generation and a second generation superalloy will be reported. Our experiments show that isothermal solidification without precipitation of brittle phases in the braze joint or the base material can be achieved. The brazed joint consists of fine γ/γ´ microstructure. EBSD measurements demonstrated that the single crystalline orientation of the base material was maintained throughout the joint. Electron probe micro analysis is used to characterize the diffusion behaviour. Solidification velocity will be compared with the theory of transient liquid phase bonding established by Tuah-Poku [1].

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