Analysing the properties of a thermoformed polyimide film for a gas chromatography valve

分析气相色谱阀用热成型聚酰亚胺薄膜的性能

• 批准号: 543222-2019
• 负责人: Greener, Jesse
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: Université Laval
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Engage Grants Program
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=680266
• 关键词: Analysing; properties; thermoformed; polyimide; film

This proposal seeks NSERC funds to address a current problem of APN-AFP inc., in Québec, namely developing high quality valves for chromatography. In the recent years, an unusual high rejection rate was observed not continuously, and the diaphragm of the valves, microfabricated in polyimide was identified as the element causing a so high rejection rate, that can reach 50% in some periods of the year. In a context of high productivity, due to the high demand, this can compromise the efficiency of the company, and create a work surcharge. The fabrication of such diaphragm includes a series of multi-step hot embossing processes demanding control of parameters such temperature, compression charges, and others. The team of APN-AFP inc. optimised the process over the last months, but without reaching significant results. The hypotheses behind this project is that the parameters of temperature, air humidity, process loads, and storing the diaphragm sensitively affect the intrinsically microstructure of the polyimide diaphragm. By an innovative approach unexplored up to now, in 6 months, we plan to carry out a parametric study combining mechanical processing, advanced spectroscopy, mechanical testing, differential scanning microscopy, and advanced surface analyses to assess which are the element responsible to induce changes so important to compromise the performances of the diaphragm. This is expected to improve the competitiveness of APN-AFP inc., and by extension all the Canadian manufacturing industry of high-added value ultra-precise products. We propose to mainly investigate a route towards systematic characterization through advanced chemical and mechanical technique of all the steps required to produce the diaphragm from polyimide raw material. This is not a routine work, mainly because the literature is unclear of the precise role that temperature, humidity and fabrication processes can affect polyimide structure. APN-AFP inc. from its side, needs to push the materials to work at the highest performance limits. By this work, intrinsically, we are pushing the knowledge of the polyimide structure/property relationships over the frontier of the known.

本提案寻求NSERC资金，以解决APN-AFP公司目前的问题，即开发高质量的色谱阀。近年来，阀门出现了异常高的废品率，其中聚酰亚胺制成的阀门膜片被认为是造成废品率高的因素，在一年中的某些时期可达到50%。在高生产率的背景下，由于高需求，这可能会损害公司的效率，并产生工作附加费。这种膜片的制造包括一系列多步骤热压工艺，要求控制温度、压缩量等参数。在过去的几个月里，APN-AFP公司的团队对这一过程进行了优化，但没有取得显著的成果。这个项目背后的假设是，温度、空气湿度、工艺负荷和存储膜片的参数敏感地影响聚酰亚胺膜片的内在微观结构。通过迄今为止尚未探索的创新方法，我们计划在6个月内进行一项参数化研究，结合机械加工，先进光谱学，机械测试，差示扫描显微镜和先进的表面分析，以评估哪些因素导致了如此重要的变化，从而损害了隔膜的性能。这有望提高APN-AFP公司的竞争力，进而提高加拿大所有高附加值超精密产品制造业的竞争力。我们建议主要研究通过先进的化学和机械技术对聚酰亚胺原料生产膜片所需的所有步骤进行系统表征的途径。这不是一项常规工作，主要是因为文献不清楚温度、湿度和制造工艺对聚酰亚胺结构的确切作用。从APN-AFP公司的角度来看，需要推动材料在最高性能极限下工作。通过这项工作，从本质上讲，我们正在将聚酰亚胺结构/性质关系的知识推向已知的前沿。