Localized microvolume

The connection of microhardness, determined according to the results of the tests in a very localized microvolume, with such macroscopic characteristics of polymeric materials as elasticity modulus E and 5deld stress is another aspect of the problem. At present a large enough number of derived theoretically and received empirically relationships between E and exists [7, 8],... 

For the investigation of electrode reaction parameters and chemistry at these dimensions, another approach is necessary, in order to make the system species-selective through monitoring the electrochemistry. This involves making tip and substrate into independent electrodes the tip is thus a microelectrode. The microelectrode tip is scanned over the surface this is known as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) [43] and due to its local probe nature can be used to probe microvolumes. 

The main principles of the microheterogeneous model can be formulated as follows. The densely-cross-linked polymer formation process is characterized by a parallel proceeding of inter-connected chemical and physical phenomena. Chemical transformations (or interaction of the reactive-able groups) are accompanied by physical phenomena, namely chain aggregation, phase division (or syneresis) with the elimination of the starting monomer from the sufficiently dense polymeric networks, local glass transition of the densely-cross-linked microvolumes, re-distribution of the inter-molecular interactions in connection with phase surface division, etc. 

At present it is known [10-12], that microhardness is the property sensitive to morphological and structural changes in polymeric materials. For composite materials the existence of the filler, whose microhardness exceeds by far polymer matrix corresponding characteristic, is an additional powerful factor [13]. The introduction of sharpened indentors in the form of a cone or a pyramid in polymeric material a stressed state is localized in small enough microvolume and it is supposed, that in such tests polymeric materials real structure is found [14]. In cormection with the fact, that polymer nanocomposites are complex enough [15], the question arises, which stmcture component reacts on indentor forcing and how far this reaction alters with particulate nanofiller introduction. 

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