Abstract
The effects of homogeneous low voltage electron beam irradiation (HLEBI) under liquid nitrogen on the adhesive force of peeling (oFp) at accumulative probability of peeling (Pp) of laminated PTFE/PDMS sheets of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) at 77 K were investigated without glue. oFp values at each Pp of PTFE/PDMS laminated sheets irradiated of 0.04 to 0.43 MGy at both 77 and 298 K exceed the corresponding values of the untreated samples. Although 298 K-HLEBI with 0.04 MGy improves oFp value at low Pp (0.06), 77 K-HLEBI didn’t improve it. On the contrary, the 77 K-HLEBI with 0.22 MGy apparently enhanced the oFp at low-Pp of 0.06. It is higher than that of 298 K-HLEBI with 0.22 MGy. Furthermore, the operation dose range at high oFp value of more than 1.5 N m−1 at low Pp (0.06) at 77 K, indicator of high industrial reliability of production process, was 0.33 MGy, which was more than 3.7 times broader than that at 298 K. Based on the 3-parameter Weibull equation, the lowest oFp value at Pp of zero (Fs) could be estimated. The 0.22 MGy-HLEBI at 77 K apparently improves the Fs, which was higher than that 0.22 MGy-HLEBI at 298 K. Decreasing the irradiation temperature from 298 to 77 K controlled the rapid adhesion and rapid decay of adhesion at low-Pp, which were mainly caused by the low forming ability of dangling bonds induced by strong apparent bonding force, which is related to decreasing atoms vibration energy. Since the 0.22 MGy-HLEBI at 77 K controlled the recovery of dangling bonds and generated the chemical bonds, the strong adhesive force of PTFE/PDMS treated by 0.22 MGy-HLEBI at 77 K could be explained. Therefore, HLEBI under liquid nitrogen was useful tool for quick strong PTFE/PDMS lamination with sterilization for bio-adaptable application.