Deposit formation and fouling in reactors for polymer production and processing especially in microreactors is a well-known phenomenon. Despite the flow and pressure loss optimized static mixers, fouling occurs on the surfaces of the mixer elements. To improve the performance of such parts even further, stainless steel substrates are coated with ultra-thin films which have low surface energy, good adhesion, and high durability. Perfluorinated organosilane (FOTS) films deposited via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are compared with FOTS containing zirconium oxide sol-gel films regarding the prevention of deposit formation and fouling during polymerization processes in microreactors. Both film structures led to anti-adhesive properties of microreactor component surfaces during aqueous poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) synthesis. To determine the morphology and surface chemistry of the coatings, different characterization methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as well as microscopic methods such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are applied. The surface free energy and wetting properties are analyzed by means of contact angle measurements. The application of thin film-coated mixing elements in a microreactor demonstrates a significant lowering in pressure increase caused by a reduced deposit formation.

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In this work, the influence of the filler matrix adhesion on the tensile properties of laser-sintered parts built with Polyamide 613 filled with glass beads was investigated. For this purpose, dry blends of glass beads with and without organosilane coupling agents and polyamide powder were prepared and processed into tensile specimens on an EOS P396. The samples were tested both in the dry state and after an accelerated conditioning in a climate chamber. Furthermore, FEM simulations were performed to model the limiting cases of optimum adhesion and no adhesion. By correlating the tensile tests with the simulation results and by analyzing the fracture surfaces, it was shown that the filler matrix adhesion is sufficient in the dry state but is strongly degraded by conditioning. Even the presence of various organosilane thin films could not prevent a strong deterioration of the filler-matrix adhesion and the associated deterioration of the mechanical properties. Since a comparison with an injection molded sample of the same polymer filler combination shows identical behavior after conditioning, it is assumed that this problem is not limited to additively manufactured parts.

demonstrated [2]. The geometric freedom allows designing electrodes for increased mass transport between bulk and boundary layer by employing a kenics mixer geometry (see Figure ). The potential of this method is demonstrated by tuning the mean pore size from 10 to 100 μm. This way high surface areas can be created while at the same time keeping processing time and complexity in production to a minimum. By adjusting the laser, the opposing properties of the material's porosity, mechanical strength, and conductivity can be controlled.

This article presents the potential-dependent adsorption of two proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYZ), on Ti6Al4V alloy at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. The adsorption process was studied on an electropolished alloy under cathodic and anodic overpotentials, compared to the open circuit potential (OCP). To analyze the adsorption process, various complementary interface analytical techniques were employed, including PM-IRRAS (polarization-modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy), AFM (atomic force microscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), and E-QCM (electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance) measurements. The polarization experiments were conducted within a potential range where charging of the electric double layer dominates, and Faradaic currents can be disregarded. The findings highlight the significant influence of the interfacial charge distribution on the adsorption of BSA and LYZ onto the alloy surface. Furthermore, electrochemical analysis of the protein layers formed under applied overpotentials demonstrated improved corrosion protection properties. These studies provide valuable insights into protein adsorption on titanium alloys under physiological conditions, characterized by varying potentials of the passive alloy.