title: Absorbing TiOxthin film enabling laser welding of polyurethane membranes and polyamide fibers.
abstract: We report on the optical properties of thin titanium suboxide (TiOx) films for applications in laser transmission welding of polymers. Non-absorbing fibers were coated with TiOxcoatings by reactive magnetron sputtering. Plasma process parameters influencing the chemical composition and morphology of the deposited thin films were investigated in order to optimize their absorption properties. Optical absorption spectroscopy showed that the oxygen content of the TiOxcoatings is the main parameter influencing the optical absorbance. Overtreatment (high power plasma input) of the fiber surface leads to high surface roughness and loss of mechanical stability of the fiber. The study shows that thin substoichiometric TiOxfilms enable the welding of very thin polyurethane membranes and polyamide fibers with improved adhesion properties.
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amberg
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Protection and Physiology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haag
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Storchenegger
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rupper
authors.affiliation: Leister Technologies AG, R&D Corporate Research, Galileo-Strasse 10, 6056 Kaegiswil, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Frederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lehmeier
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Protection and Physiology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: René M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hegemann
keywords: NIR absorption; fiber coatings; laser welding; reactive magnetron sputtering; titanium suboxides