Low-Voltage Scanning Electron Microscopy Investigation of Polymers

The morphological characterization of any polymer blend plays an important part in the development of a new blend system because the properties of blends are dictated by phase morphology which is dependent upon the chemistry and the processing conditions. Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy are the most commonly used microscopical techniques for morphological characterization. Transmission electron microscopy techniques provide the best resolution (≈ 0.3 nm) but are limited in the size of sample area and require elaborate sample preparation procedures. Surface charging and beam damage problems have been some of the drawbacks of conventional scanning electron microscopy with non-conducting materials like polymers. The use of low accelerating voltage scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM) in the characterization of polymers and other non-conducting materials is beginning to be recognized.