Investigation of Morphology and Interface in Polymer Composite Thin Films.
Investigation of Morphology and Interface in Polymer
Composite Thin Films.
(356 K)
Chiang, C. K.; Sung, L. P.; Popielarz, R.
Electronic, Optical and Optoelectronic Polymers and
Oligomers. Materials Research Society Symposium. Volume
665. Symposium C. Proceedings. 2001, Jabbour, G. E.;
Meijer, B.; Sariciftci, N. S., Editor(s)(s), C5.27.1-5
pp, 2001.
Keywords:
films; morphology; microstructure; polymer composite;
BaTiO3; microscopy; ferroelectric; cluster; powder;
particle distribution
Abstract:
Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) has been
applied to examine the filler particles and their
distribution in BaTiO3-polymer composite films. We have
measured thin-slice images of the composite films at
various depths from the film surface and visualized the
submicron size particles and the polymer between them
nondestructively. We have found that, although BaTiO3
particles appear to be uniformly dispersed in the
composite films when observed under conventional
microscope, the particles form clusters at low BaTiO3
concentrations. The lower the concentration the larger
the cluster size. The particles appear to be better
dispersed in the high concentration composites than at
low concentrations.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899