Premium
Three‐dimensional scanning electron microscopy characterization of the topography of textured polymeric surfaces
Author(s) -
Ignell Sofie,
Ariño Ruth,
Iannuzzi Giovanna,
Kleist Ulf,
Rigdahl Mikael
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.21691
Subject(s) - gloss (optics) , stereographic projection , materials science , scanning electron microscope , surface finish , surface roughness , composite material , mold , optics , geometry , mathematics , physics , coating
A stereographic scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique combined with a filtering procedure was used to characterize the surface topography of injection‐molded polymeric plaques to improve the understanding of the relation between surface texture and gloss of deliberately textured and quite rough surfaces. The specimens, having small differences in surface topography and gloss, were produced by using two mold cavities with slight differences in surface texture and three different polymers. Small differences in gloss were also achieved by changing the processing conditions. All specimens exhibited a very low gloss. A stereographic image of the textured surface was constructed from two SEM micrographs of the same area, but differing slightly in viewing angle. From this image, descriptors characterizing the surface topography could be evaluated, in the present study the root‐mean‐square roughness and a lateral correlation length. The results indicated that small differences in gloss in the low gloss region could to a significant extent be associated with small‐scale variations in the surface topography. The SEM method used might provide a useful tool for identifying the length scale at which the surface pattern or irregularities has a strong effect on the appearance of polymeric low‐gloss surfaces. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1527–1534, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers