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Cover Image, Volume 131, Issue 9
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.40264
Subject(s) - cover (algebra) , materials science , conductive polymer , nanotechnology , polymer , polymer science , computer science , composite material , mechanical engineering , engineering
The imaging of fiber surfaces and surface treatments is key to investigating the adhesion between the fiber and matrix in composite materials. The cover shows a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of natural flax fibers following treatment with a fatty acid. The strong image contrast between different organic materials is revealed by the latest generation energy filtered in‐lens SEM detectors using low accelerating voltages, as demonstrated by Ron Rasch et al. The new detectors allow the visualization of the material contrast of polymer specimens in an unaltered state and without the traditional requirement of conductive metal coatings. They are ideal for investigations of the outermost surfaces of natural polymers that are easily damaged by the higher accelerating voltages required by previous generation detectors. DOI: 10.1002/app.39572