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Characterization of cross‐linking depth for thin polymeric films using atomic force microscopy
Author(s) -
Guo Qiuquan,
Paliy Maxim,
Kobe Brad,
Trebicky Tomas,
Suhan Natalie,
Arsenault Gilles,
Ferrari Lorenzo,
Yang Jun
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.41493
Subject(s) - elastomer , materials science , polymer , characterization (materials science) , thin film , composite material , cross section (physics) , cross link , atomic force microscopy , nanotechnology , physics , quantum mechanics
Thin polymeric films made with various elastomers, like polyisoprene, and elastomer composites were prepared for characterization of cross‐linking depth in this study. Various cross‐linking methods have been applied to get mechanically stronger, more thermally stable and chemically resistant polymer coatings. However, there is no existing approach that could effectively characterize the degree or depth of cross‐linking for thin polymer films. The objective of this work is to use atomic force microscopy to characterize cross‐linking depth in a precise way. Hyperthermal hydrogen bombardment‐induced cross‐linking was employed as a cross‐linking method and the depth of cross‐linking was estimated via local change of the elastic modulus along the sample cross‐section with precise force measurement and high spatial resolution. It is found that the cross‐linking depth is closely related to the chemical composition of thin films. Understanding the depth of cross‐linking is vital for a broad range of applications. It is believed that the developed technique is also applicable for studying other cross‐linkable materials. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 41493.