We report results from thin films of novel biomaterials based on natural minerals, never before synthesized in the laboratory using primarily non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials and characterized optically. These biomaterial films have high indices of refraction and would be a natural and toxicologically safe material to use for large-area optical sensing of molecules, including toxic industrial molecules. Adhering modest concentrations of molecules in solution (water/humidity, ethanol, glucose, ammonia, etc.) to the surface of a Fabry-Perot cavity is shown experimentally to sufficiently alter the index of refraction and thickness of the Fabry-Perot films to enable detection of the molecules via optical methods (reflectance, ellipsometry, transmission, etc.). We report laboratory sensing of 3 types of molecules in solution with controlled high-quality Fabry-Perot cavities. We discuss different and better biominerals to use and discern potential applications.
In this work, UHMWPE films with different additives were successfully fabricated via a combination of solvent-casting and unixial stretching technique at different draw ratio while fibers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) with silicon and oxide microcomposites were produced by melt-spinning consisting of twin-screw extrusion at various collection rates. The SEM images and DSC data showed the film structure becomes highly oriented along stretching direction and its melting temperature and crystallinity changes considerably by increasing the draw ratio, while the diameters of the fiber samples were reduced by increasing the fiber collecting speed and its crystallinity varies insignificantly with respect to the collecting speed. The optical properties of the polyethylene films and fibers were investigated in the long wave infrared (LWIR) spectral range.
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