An ESEM/EDX Methodology for the Study of Additive Adsorption at the Polymer-Air Interface

摘要

A methodology, combining the use of Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was successfully developed and used to study the surface composition of thin polymer films containing adsorbed amides. It was found that the intensity of the Oxygen present in the form of amides on the surfaces of the films is dependent upon the operating conditions (e.g. gas, pressure, voltage). The latter were successfully optimised through experimentation and Monte-Carlo simulations, thus generating a 'recipe' for achieving consistent and reproducible data. Elemental X-ray maps were also successfully generated for the first time ever from surface and cross-sectional areas of the studied polymer systems, which not only allowed determination of the through-thickness distribution of the adsorbed material, but also demonstrated that the ESEM/EDX approach can be used not only to determine the overall composition of the specimen, but is also surface sensitive.