Metallization of polyethylene (PE) using thermal spray techniques has proved difficult due to its low melting point and softness. In this study, metallic coatings were applied on porous polyethylene substrates using a twin wire-arc spray process. Commercially available polyethylene sheets, 3 mm in thickness, were used as substrates. Copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), and zinc (Zn) were successfully deposited on the porous polymer, without prior surface preparation, to form coatings with thickness of about 400 µm. Coating surface morphology and cross-sections were examined using a scanning electron microscope. Individual metal splats on the porous and non-porous substrates were observed to study the differences in the bonding mechanisms. The adhesion strength and electrical resistivity of the coatings on porous PE were evaluated. It was found that the bond strength of all three metallic coatings was found to be higher than the ultimate fracture strength of the porous. These results suggest that porosity in the polymer helps to overcome the challenges of metallizing polyethylene and provides a significant reduction in the weight of the polymer. Therefore, all these properties aided in fabricating an extremely lightweight, composite material with potential use in thermal management applications.

中文翻译：

---

使用线弧喷涂工艺对多孔聚乙烯进行金属化，用于传热应用


由于聚乙烯 (PE) 的熔点低且柔软，因此使用热喷涂技术进行金属化已被证明是困难的。在这项研究中，采用双丝电弧喷涂工艺将金属涂层涂覆在多孔聚乙烯基材上。使用厚度为3毫米的市售聚乙烯片材作为基材。铜 (Cu)、铝 (Al) 和锌 (Zn) 成功沉积在多孔聚合物上，无需事先进行表面处理，形成厚度约为 400 µm 的涂层。使用扫描电子显微镜检查涂层表面形态和横截面。观察多孔和无孔基材上的单个金属片，以研究粘合机制的差异。评估了多孔PE上涂层的附着强度和电阻率。结果发现，所有三种金属涂层的结合强度均高于多孔材料的极限断裂强度。这些结果表明，聚合物中的孔隙率有助于克服金属化聚乙烯的挑战，并显着减轻聚合物的重量。因此，所有这些特性都有助于制造一种极轻的复合材料，具有在热管理应用中的潜在用途。