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Investigation of Morphology and Interface in Polymer Composite Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

C. K. Chiang
Affiliation:
Polymer Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8541
L. P. Sung
Affiliation:
Polymer Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8541
R. Popielarz
Affiliation:
Polymer Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8541
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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.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

REFERENCES

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