Thermoplastic elastomers microscopy

The use of lightly crosslinked polymers did result in hydrophilic surfaces (contact angle 50°, c-PI, 0.2 M PhTD). However, the surfaces displayed severe cracking after 5 days. Although qualitatively they appeared to remain hydrophilic, reliable contact angle measurements on these surfaces were impossible. Also, the use of a styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer thermoplastic elastomer did not show improved permanence of the hydrophilicity over other polydienes treated with PhTD. The block copolymer film was cast from toluene, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the continuous phase was the polybutadiene portion of the copolymer. Both polystyrene and polybutadiene domains are present at the surface. This would probably limit the maximum hydrophilicity obtainable since the RTD reagents are not expected to modify the polystyrene domains. 

Transmission electron microscopy Glass transition temperature Thermoplastic elastomer Thermoplastic olefin... 

The properties of the linear material 7.27 and the network copolymer 7.28 have been studied by dynamic mechanical analysis, DSC, and transmission electron microscopy. Evidence was obtained for the formation of highly ordered micro-phase-separated superstructures in the solid state from the materials 7.27. The Cu(bipy)2 moieties appear to form ordered stacks, and this leads to thermoplastic elastomer properties. In contrast, the network structure of 7.28 prevents significant microphase separation [51-53]. By means of related approaches, dinuclear Cu helical complexes have also been used to create block copolymers by functioning as cores [54], and polymer networks have also been formed by using diiron(II) triple helicates as cores for the formation of copolymers with methyl methacrylate [55]. 

Botterhuis NE, Karthikeyan S, Veldman D, Meskers SCJ, Sijbesma RP (2008) Molecular recognition in bisurea thermoplastic elastomers studied with pyrote-based fluorescent probes and atomic force microscopy. Orem Commun 2008(33) 3915-3917... 

Figure 5.80. Transmission electron microscopy image of a thin section of nylon 6,6 with a thermoplastic elastomer, stained with RUO4 and PTA. (From Wood [366] used with permission.)...

Yamauchi, K., Akasaka, S., Hasegawa, H., Koizumi, S., Deepraserlkul, C., Laokijcharoen, P. et al. (2005) Structural study of natural rubber thermoplastic elastomers and their composites with carbon black by smaH-angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing, 36, 423—429. 

SAXS and WAXS are particularly efficient in the study of amorphous polymers including microstructured materials, hence their use in block copolymers (see also Chapters 6 and 7). The advent of synchotron sources for X-ray scattering provided new information, particularly on the evolution of block copolymer microstructures with time resolution below one second. In particular, the morphology of TPEs is most often studied with these techniques Guo et al. [108] applied SAXS to the analysis of the phase behavior, morphology, and interfacial structure in thermoset/thermoplastic elastomer blends. WAXS is often associated with SAXS and some other methods, such as electron microscopy, and various thermal and mechanical analyses. It is mainly used in studies of the microphase separation [109,110], deformation behavior [111], and blends [112]. 

Burford R P, Markotsis M G and Knott R B (2003) Small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy studies of interpenetrating polymers networks from thermoplastic elastomers, Nud Instrum Meth in Phys Res Sect B 208 58-65. 

IPNs are also attractive for development of materials with enhanced mechanical properties. As PDMS acts as an elastomer, it is of interest to have a thermoplastic second network such as PMMA or polystyrene. Crosslinked PDMS have poor mechanical properties and need to be reinforced with silica. In the IPNs field, they can advantageously be replaced by a second thermoplastic network. On the other hand, if the thermoplastic network is the major component, the PDMS network can confer a partially elastomeric character to the resulting material. Huang et al. [92] studied some sequential IPNs of PDMS and polymethacrylate and varied the ester functionalities the polysiloxane network was swollen with MMA (methyl methacrylate), EMA (ethyl methacrylate) or BuMA (butyl methacrylate). Using DMA the authors determined that the more sterically hindered the substituent, the broader the damping zone of the IPN (Table 2). This damping zone broadness was also found to be dependant on the PDMS content, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to observe the co-continuity of the IPN. 

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