This paper provides a reading response to an article: “Polymer-derived ceramic and ceramic-like coatings: Innovative solutions for real problems.” the areas captured are summary; importance for ceramic science and processing; methods, analysis, and applications; and issues with the article.
Summary
The article focuses mainly on three issues revolving around the polymer-derived ceramics (PDC): the capabilities of the PDC, applications, and the future of the PDC. PDC has many benefits as compared to the traditional methods. Some of the advantages are the homogeneity of the molecular structure and low temperature of processing (Barroso et al., 2017). All these and other advantages contribute to the realization of a range of ceramics. PDC experiences protective characteristics are contributing to various applications such as electronic and environmental barriers (Barroso et al., 2017). Research continues in the field of PDC, and this gives it a fabulous potential for developing unique properties that are significant in the future expansion (Barroso et al., 2017).
Importance for Ceramic Science and Processing
Ceramic is vital in both science and processing. Its significance is shown by the practical values and outstanding properties in mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic, and chemical among other sectors of science and processing (Riedel " Chen, 2011). The ceramic properties have contributed to various applications. For example, in science, ceramics are applied in environmental protection and medical applications, and in processing, they are utilized mainly in the coating (Barroso et al., 2017). Thus, the roles of ceramics in science and processing are clear.
Methods, Analysis, and Applications
The focus of the article majors in this sections. Therefore each subtopic is addressed separately.
Methods
Various techniques are used in the transformation of the preceramic to ceramic materials. However, the most commonly used PDC approaches are lacquer techniques because of their low costs and the simplicity of conversion (Barroso et al., 2017). Some of the lacquer approaches are a dip, spray coating, doctor blade, and spin (Barroso et al., 2017). The choice of the method depends on a variety of factors which are based on the suitability of the techniques and industrial applications (Barroso et al., 2017).
The dip-coating method is associated with the following features: simplicity, low wastages, ease of automation, and it is mainly utilized in the geometries (Barroso et al., 2017). Spin-coating also shares the characteristics of the dip-coating except that it has medium wastage and it is commonly applicable on flat surfaces (Ahmadi et al., 2014). The two techniques are performed at a temperature less than 5000C (Barroso et al., 2017). Furthermore, they share many properties and applications. For example, they have “strong adhesion, high thermal and chemical stability, and adjustable wettability,” (Barroso et al. 2017, p.44). They are mainly applicable to protective coating and surface functionalization (Barroso et al., 2017). The figure below gives pictorial views of these two techniques.
Figure 1: Dip and spin coating techniques (Barroso et al. 2017, p.44)
Figure 1 portrays both the processing of dip-coating and spin-coating. As depicted in the pictorial, the processes look simple.
Conversely, the other two techniques: spray-coating and doctor-blade share some characteristics and applications. Some of the shared characteristics include the following. The coating is performed at a temperature of between 5000C and 12000C (Barroso et al., 2017). They also have strong adhesion and experience high hardness (Ahmadi et al., 2014). Some of the popular applications of the two techniques are environmental barriers and catalysis (Barroso et al., 2017). Despite these similarities, the approaches are distinct in specific ways. For instance, spray coating is considered a complex tool while doctor-blade is a simple tool (Barroso et al., 2017). Figure 2 below illustrates this point.
Figure 2: Spray-coating and doctor-blade (Barroso et al. 2017, p.44)
Other differences are that the pray-blade encounters high waste while the doctor shows low waste. The former is applied in complicated shapes while the latter is utilized in flat surfaces. Finally, the automation is simple in the doctor-blade. On the contrary, the ease of automation in the spray-coating depends on the shape of an object being coated; complex shapes are moderately difficult to coat, but simple shapes have portrayed no problems (Barroso et al., 2017).
Applications
PDC has many applications in various fields. The typical applications are discussed. First, PDC is applicable in coating applications. The reason behind this application is that they have strong adhesion and both to metals and polymers and even to the ceramics (Riedel " Chen, 2011). The strong adhesion is due to the covalent bonds that exist between the coated surfaced and the precursor. The second application is the environmental barriers (Barroso et al., 2017). Their application in the environmental barriers is attributed to the protective properties of the PDC. The PDC is also applicable in the electronic applications (Riedel " Chen, 2011). One of the techniques commonly used in this application is the spin coating. This is because the technique has a “low dielectric gas layers,” (Barroso et al. 2017, p.45).
The third application is the diffusion and gas barrier applications such as food packaging (Riedel " Chen, 2011). The property that makes the PDC suitable for this application is because of the high density. The densities of other types of coatings such as carbon-based methods of coatings are lower compared to those of the PDC coatings (Barroso et al., 2017). Other applications include inhibition of the accumulation of snow or formation of the ice, and medical applications such as protecting the degradation of the “dental veneering resins,” (Barroso et al. 2017, p.48). Therefore, it is notable that the PDC is significant and have many applications in different fields.
Analysis
The analysis of the PDC of this article is based on literature review. The critical aspects captured are the applications and the future of the PDC. According to Barroso et al. (2017), PDC finds their significant applications in the coating of the electronic devices. In the past, deposition was done through vapor phase techniques. Nonetheless, the rise in the compact packaging density of the electrical and electronic components poses challenges in the structure coverage by the old techniques (Barroso et al., 2017). Conversely, PDC coating techniques particularly, the spin-coating overcome these challenges (Riedel " Chen, 2011). Apart from coating the electronic devices, the PDC techniques are also important in a protective coating. The effects of corrosion are well known. Some of them include the destruction of metals and contribution to accidents (Barroso et al. 2017, p.45). Preventive coatings are hence necessary to prevent these challenges. PDC is excellent in coating because they are chemically stable, thermally resistant, and they have strong adhesion (Barroso et al., 2017).
Problems or Issues with the Article
I noted two issues in the article. The article has not the conclusion to restate its thesis and the take. Another problem is that the article has not proposed the research questions explicitly. However, it is notable the article presents detailed information on the PDC processes and their applications.
Conclusion
The PDC has a wide range of applications because of the excellent properties such chemical stability they possess. The method has several approaches such as spin-coating and other; this also contributes to the various applications.
References
Barroso, G., Li, Q., Motz, G., " Bordia, R. K. (2017). Polymer-derived ceramic and ceramic-like coatings: Innovative solutions for real problems. AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY BULLETIN, 96(3), 42-49.
Riedel, R., " Chen, I. W. (Eds.). (2011). Ceramics Science and Technology, Volume 2: Materials and Properties. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley " Sons.
Ahmadi, S., Asim, N., Alghoul, M. A., Hammadi, F. Y., Saeedfar, K., Ludin, N. A., ... " Sopian, K. (2014). The role of physical techniques on the preparation of photoanodes for dye sensitized solar cells. International Journal of Photoenergy, 2014.
