AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition
    In-Situ Spectroscopy and Microscopy Focus Topic Tuesday Sessions
       Session IS+AS+MC+SS-TuA

Paper IS+AS+MC+SS-TuA12
Selective Staining for Enhanced Spectroscopic Identification of Domains in Immiscible Polymer Blends by Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

Tuesday, November 11, 2014, 6:00 pm, Room 313

Session: Environmental Electron Microscopies
Presenter: Nicholas Heller, SUNY Stony Brook
Authors: N.W.M. Heller, SUNY Stony Brook
C.R. Clayton, SUNY Stony Brook
S.L. Giles, Naval Research Laboratory
J.H. Wynne, Naval Research Laboratory
M.J. Wytiaz, Sherwin-Williams Company
M.E. Walker, Sherwin-Williams Company
Correspondent: Click to Email
Blends of incompatible polymers combined with fillers and pigments were used to produce unique low reflectance thermoset coatings. Understanding the origins of low reflectance from the coatings was approached through microscopy, thermal analysis and spectroscopic analysis of both pigmented and control clear coatings. Polymeric phase separation was confirmed by the presence of two distinct glass transition temperatures. Microscopy revealed random surface features for the pigmented coatings. Therefore, the pigments and fillers were removed to observe the polymer-polymer interactions within the blend under curing conditions. Identification of the polymeric domains was obtained using Raman spectroscopy mapping of cross-section samples embedded within a polyester resin. Cross-section samples of coatings were utilized to isolate encapsulated polymer domains from the continuous polymer network to minimize spectral averaging from both domains. Raman analysis of the blends was compared to cured films generated using the individual resins. The embedding process produced a marker peak in one phase and in one individual resin. The marker peak was found to be from styrene monomer and was found to selectively bind to one component of the polymer blend, based on polar and hydrogen bonding characteristics..