Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy for Polymer Blends
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21467/jmm.4.1.31-36Abstract
Physical properties of the polymer can be altered by mixing one or more polymers together also known as polymer blending. The miscibility of polymers is a key parameter in determining the properties of polymer blend. Conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) plays a critical role in determining the miscibility and morphology of the polymers in blend system. One of the most difficult part in polymer microscopy is the staining by heavy metals to generate contrast in CTEM. RuO4 and OsO4 are commonly used to stain the polymer materials for CTEM imaging. CTEM imaging is difficult to interpret for blends due to lack of clear distinction in contrast. Apart from having difficulty in contrast generation, staining procedures are extremely dangerous as improper handling could severely damage skin, eyes, lungs etc. We have used scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to image polymer blends without any staining processes. In current work, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)/Methacrylate Butadiene Styrene (MBS) and Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) along with filler additive were dispersed on Polycarbonate (PC) matrix and studied by STEM/HAADF (high angle annular dark field). By using HAADF, contrast was generated through molecular density difference to differentiate components in the blend.
Keywords:
Polymer blends, Microscopy, STEM, StainingDownloads
References
J. Parameswaranpillai, S. Thomas, and Y. Grohens, Polymer Blends: State of the Art, New Challenges, and Opportunities, in Characterization of Polymer Blends: Miscibility, Morphology and Interfaces (Eds S. Thomas, Y. Grohens and P. Jyotishkumar), Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, Germany, 2014.
D.R. Paul, Control of phase structure in polymer blends, in Functional Polymers (Eds D.E. Bergbreiter and C.R. Martin), Plenum Press, New York, pp. 1-18, 1989.
L.C. Sawyer, D.T. Grubb, and G.F. Meyers, Polymer Microscopy, 3rd edition. Springer, 2008.
E.H. Andrews, J.M. Stubbs, “A new freezing head for the ultramicrotomy of rubber “ J. R. Microsc. Soc., 82, pp. 221, 1964.
E.H. Andrews, “Crystalline Morphology in Thin Films of Natural Rubber. II. Crystallization Under Strain,”. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, 227, pp. 562, 1964.
R. Vitali, E. Montani, “., Ruthenium tetroxide as a staining agent for unsaturated and saturated polymers” Polymer, 21, pp. 1220, 1980.
J.S. Trent, J.L. Scheinbeim, P.R. Couchman, “Transmission electron microscope studies of polymers stained with ruthenium and osmium tetroxide” Polym. Sci. Technol., 22, pp. 205, 1983.
J.S. Trent, J.L. Scheinbeim, P.R. Couchman, “Electron microscopy of PS/PMMA and rubber modified polymer blends: use of ruthenium tetroxide as new staining agent”, J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Lett. Edn., 19, pp. 315, 1981.
K. Kato, “Electron Microscopy of ABS Plastics”, J. Electron Microsc., 14, pp. 220, 1965.
K. Kato, “Osmium tetroxide fixation of rubber lattices”, J. Polymer Science Part C: Polymer Letters, 4, pp. 35, 1966.
K. Kato, “The osmium tetroxide procedure for light and electron microscopy of ABS plastics”, Polym. Eng. Sci., 7, pp. 38, 1967.
S. J. Pennycook, P.D. Nellist, Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, Springer, 2011.
B.S. Lombardo, H. Keskkula, D.R. Paul, “ ., Influence of ABS type on morphology and mechanical properties of polycarbonate PC/ABS blend“, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 54, pp. 1697, 1994.
C. Cheng, A. Hiltner, E. Baer, P.R. Soskey, S.G. Mylonakis, “Deformation of rubber-toughened polycarbonate - Microscale and nanoscale analysis of the damage zone”, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 55, pp. 1691, 1995.
J. Loos, E. Sourty, K. Lu, S.V. Bavel, “Imaging polymer systems with. high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy”, Macromolecules, 42, pp. 2581, 2009.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2017 Pradeep Singh, B. R. Venugopal, Radha Kamalakaran (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Click here for more information on Copyright policy
Click here for more information on Licensing policy
