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Characterization of Renewable Composites
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 March 2011
Abstract
In this study, we demonstrate the usefulness of chemical based method in combination with AFM to characterize a wide range of degradable polymer blends. This approach is based on selective degradation of one of the phase in a multi-phase system and the ability of TMAFM to provide nanoscale lateral information about the different phases in the polymer system. Composite films containing different percentage of hydrolyzable polymer were either melt processed/solution casted and then exposed to a hydrolytic acidic environment and analyzed using TMAFM. Pits were observed to form in the blend films. The progressive hydrolysis of the hydrolyzable component in the composite was studied by FTIR analyses. TMAFM phase imaging was used to follow pit growth of the blend as a function of exposure time. The usefulness of the chemical modification/AFM approach in the characterization of renewable porous material membranes is discussed.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002