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Improved Sensitivity in the Thermal Investigation of Polymeric Nanophases by Measuring the Resonance Frequency Shift using an Atomic Force Microscope
Author(s) -
Meincken Martina,
Balk Ludwig J.,
Sanderson Ronald D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/1439-2054(20010701)286:7<412::aid-mame412>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - materials science , cantilever , polymer , thermal , atomic force microscopy , scanning thermal microscopy , resonance (particle physics) , microscope , nanotechnology , composite material , optics , thermodynamics , atomic physics , physics
A novel technique has been developed to measure thermal transitions of polymers with the atomic force microscope (AFM) in the non‐contact mode. The resonance frequency of the AFM cantilever is measured as a function of the temperature, and thermal transitions of a polymer are clearly visible as changes in the resonance frequency/temperature response curve. Using the AFM in this mode allows the determination of the thermal properties of a material at a specific spot on the sample, on a macromolecular scale. This adds a new dimension to the standard thermal analysis techniques, rendering it possible to resolve the individual thermal transitions of different polymer phases, for example in structured multiphase polymers.