Abstract:

Sol-gel is one of the most common advanced technology coating techniques used to produce thin films of a wide variety of organic, inorganic, hybrid and nanocomposite materials. One of the most important advantages of the sol-gel technique is the controlability of the homogeneous, submicron thickness, composition, and the ability to coat any complex shaped substrates. It is therefore superior to conventional coating methods. In this study, TiO2 and ZrO2 coatings were applied by left-gel dip coating technique to improve the mechanical properties of glass surfaces. Since the coating thickness was very difficult to be detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM) in a single layer, a 10-fold cycle was applied. Morphology and layer thickness of coated samples were measured by SEM-EDX and surface roughness was measured by Nanovea ST-400 non-contact optical profilometer. The mechanical property of the surface is characterized by TQC Pencil Hardness Tester. As a result, glass coatings with improved mechanical properties were produced.