Premium
Study of ‘wet’ polymer latex systems in environmental scanning electron microscopy: some imaging considerations
Author(s) -
MEREDITH P.,
DONALD A. M.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2818.1996.67341.x
Subject(s) - scanning electron microscope , polymer , materials science , environmental scanning electron microscope , nitrogen , chemical engineering , water vapor , nitrous oxide , microscopy , electron microscope , analytical chemistry (journal) , nanotechnology , chemistry , environmental chemistry , optics , composite material , organic chemistry , physics , engineering
Environmental scanning electron microscopy has been used to study ‘wet’ polymer latex films. Comparison of the results obtained by imaging in nitrogen and nitrous oxide gas and water vapour has provided insight into a variety of different contrast phenomena. Notably, it was found that edge definition and fine features could be enhanced by imposing further saturated vapour conditions at the hydrated film surface. Furthermore, by imaging at subzero temperatures in the presence of nitrogen, it was shown that beam damage could be reduced in such sensitive polymeric samples.