I am making a solution containing polyamide-imide (PAI) (Torlon AI-10) and N-methyl 2- Pyrrolidone (NMP) (Solvent). After making the solution, I am trying to make a thin film of this solvent on a glass substrate using casting knife followed by evaporating solvent in the vacuum oven. After the heating process, I am getting a solid thin film on the glass substrate but I am not able to peel off the thin film from the glass substrate. I have tried to use mold release agent on the glass substrate but after application of mold release agent, I am not able to form a film on a glass substrate because the mold release agent reduces surface tension and in that case the film is not getting formed. If anyone having suggestions for how can I peel off the thin film without breaking or damaging it?
Good day, Dhaiwat Trivedi! Hope you are doing well.
I have both idea for you on how to peel off the film and some general thoughts on that theme.
1. I wonder is it possible in your case to peel off your films by two ways - soaking glass in tap water (or maybe other solvent?) for some time with its further drying (link: Article Synthesis and characterization of BTDA-based polyamide-imides
) and drying your film up to almost dry, with its further placing on wire mesh to dry off (link:Article Polyamide-Imide Membranes with Surface Immobilized Cyclodext...
)Another possibility is to cover glass with some wax tapes (or maybe regular office tape?). I am not sure will it work in your case
2. The other thoughts on mine belong to the fact that your methodology seems to have a bottleneck - film detachment. Thus, if it is constant problem - methodology should be changed (try another conditions, solvents, glass, casual film casting).
Feel free to mention me in your response in case of any extra questions.
Best of luck in your research!
Yours sincerely,
M. Sc. Vadym Chibrikov
Department of Microstructure and Mechanics of Biomaterials
Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences
Vadym Chibrikov Thank you sir for your valuable guidance. I will surely try to change the solvent or the substrate if it is required. Moreover, I have read many articles mentioning that the film can get detached by soaking the substrate in the mixture of dry-ice and diethyl-ether. I am not sure about it but if you know anything about this then it would be helpful for me.
Hello Dhaiwat,
I have two suggestions.
1. I think you have used silicon based mold release agents. Try to use wax based release agent may be it will help.
You can get the wax based release agent from below link:
https://www.indiamart.com/ashokpolish/polish-waxes.html#25604056230
2. Use Teflon (PTFE) sheet as substrate and try to make your film on it. After solidification of the film you can easily remove it by somewhat flexing the Teflon sheet or with the method you have tried out on glass substrate.
Haresh Bhanushali Thank you sir for your valuable suggestions. I will try to use wax based mold release agent and Teflon sheet.
Try to increase film thickness. You can achieve this by increasing the solution concentration and casting it in a petri dish. Then the cast film should peel away easily. If needed after vacuuming the solvent, keep the petri dish in a refrigerator. It should shrink the film and make it pop out.
Manoj Praharaj Bhatnagar thank you sir for your valuable suggestion.
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