Characterization of polymer-adhesive interfaces on a nanometre scale by elemental mapping and image EELS using EFTEM.
Energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) was applied for investigating interfaces between a polymer and an adhesive. The sample employed in this work is polybutylene terephtharate (PBT) sheets laminated with an epoxy adhesive. It was found that heat aging of the PBT at 180 degrees C in air for > 9 h prior to adhesion decreases the adhesion strength drastically. To investigate this unfavourable aging effect on the adhesion strength, we performed elemental mapping and image EELS using EFTEM. A weak boundary layer with a thickness of < 50 nm was visualized at the PBT-adhesive interface by elemental mapping in the sample subjected to the heat aging and image EELS revealed the origin of this layer. Thus, we clearly correlated the nanoscale interfacial structure with the adhesion strength by EFTEM.
Horiuchi
Shin
S
Research Center of Macromolecular Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo Water Front, 2-41-6 Aomi, Kohtoh-ku, Tokyo, Japan. s.horiuchi@aist.go.jp
Hamanaka
Tadashi
T
Aoki
Takashi
T
Miyakawa
Toshihiko
T
Narita
Ryoichi
R
Wakabayashi
Hiroyuki
H