THE USE OF SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY FOR ANALYSIS OF SKIN THICKNESS IN POLYVINYLCHLORIDE

摘要

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the skin thickness of polyvinyl chloride under various conditions. This investigation had two objectives: to determine if SEM is a practical tool for quantifying the skin thickness of a polymer and to determine if mold temperature and lubricant concentration effect skin thickness. Even though the measurements of the skin thickness are subjective, this investigation concluded that SEM is a practical method for quantifying skin thickness when multiple measurements are made along the cross section. The hypothesis that increasing mold temperature decreases skin thickness in PVC was confirmed with SEM measurements and with hardness results. The hypothesis that increasing lubricant amount increased skin thickness was confirmed with hardness measurements.