Advancement In Scratch Resistance

Advancement In Scratch Resistance! Be it your mobile phone screen, or your car’s window pane, the glass develops some scratches in the long run. Various studies and researches have been conducted to minimize these scratches, or if possible, eradicate them. A new way to consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features of  how coatings of tiny particles modify the properties of transparent plastic will help researchers develop lightweight windows with almost the same strength as glass. A similar method could also cause high-strength, scratch-resistant coatings that could be employed to variousy different materials, according to the MIT researchers who formulated the analysis.

The analysis employed a polymer named poly methyl methacrylate  (PMMA), which is greatly used as a substitute for glass. Generically called acrylic, and traded under trademarks like Lucite and Plexiglas, this material can be brittle and is far less resistant to scratching as compared to glass.

Former researchers added silica particles quantifying just nanometers across to PMMA, developing a polymer-particle nano-composite having much greater strength. But for the first time, this team has discovered a way to analyze the particle-polymer interactions of similar coatings at the nanoscale, which could help in finding improved coatings. Meng Qu, a postdoc in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, along with Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Krystyn Van Vliet and various researchers at DuPont Nanocomposite Technologies in Delaware executed this analysis. The work was partially financed by the DuPont-MIT Alliance.

Silica particles were employed for the coating as they are transparent, so the finished material maintains its transparency. To overcome the problem of incompatibility between silica and acrylic, the silica was treated with other “functional groups” of molecules, altering its surface chemistry so that it spreads evenly on the polymer surface. Afterwards, the researchers heated the polymer to soften it a little, and employed an atomic force microscope to observe the particles as they gradually sank into the surface, permitting the MIT team to see how fast the particles sink in and learn exactly how they interact with the polymer. The ensuing data enabled the team to work out the optimal coating materials and particle densities for toning up the polymer surface, forming possible stronger window substitutes. The work could also result in spray-on scratch-resistant coating for all things from cars to cellphones, Qu says. “Any surface that needs coating is potentially a candidate for such a treatments. We demonstrated that putting a small amount of particles on the surface increases the stiffness.”

The work could revolutionize many current uses of PMMA, such as the windows in aquarium tanks. Currently, these windows are made very thick to defy the enormous water pressure in large tanks. But if the material is tougher, the windows could be built thinner and lighter, and thus less expensive.

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Window Insect Screens

Two news items of late concerning screen repair & washing. Above you will find Window Cleaning Resources video on replacement & a couple more below. The last video is on the wild side!

Screens need care or else they’ll tear: Window and door screens take a lot of abuse, from children and pets pushing them to squirrels chewing them. Lack of regular maintenance can take its toll too. Here’s a primer on care and repair. Need to know: What kind of screens you own. The most common materials are vinyl-coated fiberglass and aluminum. Aluminum is less likely to tear or sag but easily dents and can corrode. Fiberglass doesn’t dent or corrode, is less expensive than aluminum, and is available in several mesh varieties. Solar-screening mesh that reduces ultraviolet radiation ($ 125 to $ 215 a roll ) comes in aluminum (louvered ) or fiberglass (ribbed weave ). Renewable resource: Replacement aluminum and fiberglass screening, silver- or charcoal-colored, is available in packaged 25-foot rolls (in 36-inch widths ) for $ 10 or less. Many retailers will cut what you need from large rolls, which reduces the price. Standard widths are 24 to 48 inches. Other colors and greater widths can be special-ordered. Weavers’ ways: When manufacturers refer to screening as “standard weave,” they mean 18-by-16, the number of strands per square inch. In the South the weave is often tighter to keep out tiny bugs.
Maintenance guide: Christopher Burk, product manager for Simonton Windows, suggests yearly cleaning. Remove screens from the window/door frames, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Place them on a flat surface (such as a driveway ) and use mild soap and water with a soft bristle brush. Clean both sides and around the frame’s interior and exterior. Rinse with lukewarm water; allow to dry completely before returning it to a window / door. “Never pressure-wash screens or windows, because the force of the water can damage the units,” Burk says. “Also, use extreme care when cleaning aluminum mesh, since it can be dented or creased if too much pressure is placed on the screen.” Off-season issues: Though most screens can remain in windows year-round, some homeowners prefer to store them in the winter. Keep them either upright or flat and make sure nothing sits on top of or leans against the screens, to eliminate the chance of bent frames or punctured mesh. Covering the screens with plastic or sheets will keep them clean.
Repair clinic: Patches come in packages in the standard mesh and colors for fiberglass and aluminum; the cost is about $1. Experts advise that holes larger than three inches in diameter require replacing the entire screen. You also can make patches from screening material. Be sure that the patch is 1 / 2-inch larger than the hole on each side, and that you clean the screening around the hole before you patch. The patch is held to the rest of the screen by loose strands of screening inserted in the mesh around the hole. Strands should be on all four sides of the patch and secured in place by pressing them flat.
Final frame: In metal frames, screening is held in place in channels at the edges with vinyl or rubber splines, which can be removed with a screwdriver or similar tool. When the new screen is in place in the channels, the splines are returned and a tool with a wheel is rolled over them to tighten the screen and lock it in place. Replacing screens in wood frames means removing molding that’s nailed in place. Use a putty knife to pry each side of the molding, placing a wedge under the molding to lift the nail, then the molding without breaking it. Cut the screening with an extra inch on every side, then stretch it tightly in the frame and staple it every inch or so. Trim the screening, then replace the molding.

Take care of your screens to keep from being bugged; Window and door screens take a lot of abuse, from children and pets pushing them to squirrels chewing them. But lack of regular maintenance can take its toll, too. Here's a primer on care and repair. Need to know: What kind of screens you own. The most common materials are vinyl-coated fiberglass and aluminum. Aluminum is less likely to tear or sag, but easily dents and can corrode. Fiberglass doesn't dent or corrode, is less expensive than aluminum, and is available in several mesh varieties. Solar-screening mesh that reduces ultraviolet radiation ($125 to $215 a roll) comes in aluminum (louvered) or fiberglass (ribbed weave). Renewable resource: Replacement aluminum and fiberglass screening, silver- or charcoal-colored, is available in packaged 25-foot rolls (in 36-inch widths) for $10 or less. Many retailers will cut what you need from large rolls, which reduces the price. Standard widths are 24 to 48 inches. Other colors and greater widths can be special-ordered. Weavers' ways: When manufacturers refer to screening as "standard weave," they mean 18-by-16, the number of strands per square inch. In the South, the weave is often tighter, to keep out tinier bugs.
Maintenance guide: Christopher Burk, product manager for Simonton Windows, suggests yearly cleaning. Remove screens from the window/door frames, following the manufacturer's instructions. Place them on a flat surface (such as the driveway) and use mild soap and water with a soft bristle brush. Clean both sides and around the frame's interior and exterior. Rinse with lukewarm water; allow to dry completely before returning it to a window/door. "Never pressure-wash screens or windows, because the force of the water can damage the units," Burk says. "Also, use extreme care when cleaning aluminum mesh, since it can be dented or creased if too much pressure is placed on the screen."
Off-season issues: Though most screens can remain in windows year-round, some homeowners prefer to store them in the winter. Keep them either upright or flat, and make sure nothing sits on top of or leans against the screens, to eliminate the chance of bent frames or punctured mesh. Covering the screens with plastic or sheets will keep them clean.
Repair clinic: Patches come in packages in the standard mesh and colors for fiberglass and aluminum; cost is about $1. Experts advise that holes larger than 3 inches in diameter require replacing the entire screen. You also can make patches from screening material. Be sure that the patch is one-half-inch diameter larger than the hole, and that you clean the screening around the hole before you patch. The patch is held to the rest of the screen by loose strands of screening inserted in the mesh around the hole. Strands should be on all four sides of the patch and secured in place by pressing them flat.
Final frame: In metal frames, screening is held in place in channels at the edges with vinyl or rubber splines, which can be removed with a screwdriver or similar tool. When the new screen is in place in the channels, the splines are returned and a tool with a wheel is rolled over them to tighten the screen and lock it in place.
Replacing screens in wood frames means removing molding that's nailed in place. Use a putty knife to pry each side of the molding, placing a wedge under the molding to lift the nail, then the molding without breaking it. Cut the screening with an extra inch on every side, then stretch it tightly in the frame and staple it every inch or so. Trim the screening, then replace the molding.