Filtern
Dokumenttyp
Sprache
- Englisch (7)
Schlagworte
- Force-distance curves (7) (entfernen)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
Force-distance curves have been acquired with an atomic force microscope on perfluorpolyether films. It is shown that curves acquired on films of different thickness, at different rates and with different dwell times can be overlapped by rescaling the time or distance axis.When the time or distance axis is rescaled,the force depends only on the surface tension of perfluorpolyether and on geometrical properties of thetip (aperture and perimeter of the tip at a given distance from the apex). Hence, curves acquired with thesame tip overlap.
By comparing curves acquired at different rates the dynamics of tip-wetting can be investigated. Fur-thermore, rescaled force-distance curves have been matched with the perimeter of cross sections ofthe tip, i.e. with the perimeter of the three-phase contact line. Such measurements pave the way for anon-destructive investigation of the tip shape.
Adhesion of amorphous polymers as a function of temperature probed with AFM force-distance curves
(2005)
Forcedisplacement curves have been obtained with a commercial atomic force microscope at different temperatures and probe rates on a thick film of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) and on two films of polystyrene with different molecular weight. In a previous publication [B. Cappella, S.K. Kaliappan, H. Sturm, Macromolecules 38 (2005)1874] the analysis of forcedisplacement curves has been focused on the stiffness and on the Young's modulus of the samples. In the present publication we consider the temperature dependence of the work of adhesion. We have obtained master curves of the work of adhesion at fixed maximum loads and, by comparing the results of the two analysis, we show that the work of adhesion follows the WilliamsLandelFerry equation with the same coefficients previously found for the Young's modulus. Furthermore, we show that the temperature dependence of the work of adhesion of the polymers is a consequence of the temperature dependence of the tipsample contact area and in the end of the temperature dependence of the stiffness and of the elasticplastic properties of the samples.
Thin polybutadiene/polystyrene blend films were deposited on glass substrates by spin-coating. The two polymers were chosen, as they are immiscible and differ strongly in their mechanical properties. The blend was characterized with Tapping Mode and force–distance curves. Several advantages of force–distance curves measurements compared to Tapping Mode are shown, most of all the capability of yielding quantitative information about several properties, such as Young's modulus and adhesion. Also the aging behaviour of the blend exposed to air could be observed, in particular the increase of the Young's modulus due to cross-linking and dewetting processes. Additionally, the sample was used to improve the resolution of force–distance curves up to 6 nm, which is to date the best resolution achieved with force–distance curves. Such an improvement resolves the major disadvantage of force–distance curves, compared to other scanning mode, i.e. its inferior resolution.
Force–distance curves have been acquired with an Atomic Force Microscope on polymethyl methacrylate with embedded glass spheres. The glass spheres provide a stiff substrate with an irregular and complex topography hidden underneath a compliant and even polymer film. This situation is a special case of a mechanical double-layer, which we examined in detail in previous experiments. Up to now uniform and non-uniform polymer films on an even substrate were examined. The film thickness on each point of the sample surface was known and force–distance curves could be averaged in groups according to the film thickness. In this way we were able to develop a semi empirical approach which allows describing the shape of averaged force–distance curves depending on the Youngs moduli of the involved materials and on the film thickness. In this experiment we reconstruct a hidden topography, i.e., we determine the polymer thickness on each point of the sample by analyzing single force–distance curves with our semi empirical equation. The accuracy reached by this approach permits to obtain a reconstruction of the shape and position of the embedded particles limited by a maximum detection depth. Single curves are also analyzed qualitatively in order to locate areas where the adhesion at the polymer/glass interface is weak or the two phases are detached.