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Effect of chain architecture on the viscoelastic properties of polymer films measured via thermal wrinkling

Published

Author(s)

Edwin Chan, Qinghuang Lin, Christopher Stafford

Abstract

Although existing techniques can measure the viscoelastic properties of bulk polymers, few are available for measuring these properties in polymer thin films. This information has become increasingly important as polymers thin films are developed in a variety of technologies ranging from data storage to adhesives to biomedical devices. Recently, we have developed a new measurement approach, known as thermal wrinkling, to quantify the viscoelastic properties of polymer thin films. Wrinkling is induced by applying a thermal stress to a polymer film that is sandwiched between a substrate and a thin film superstrate. By following the evolution of the wrinkle wavelength and amplitude with small angle laser light scattering (SALS), we can determine the elastic modulus and shear viscosity of the polymer film with the aid of a theoretical model. In this work, we use thermal wrinkling to quantify the effects of molecular chain structure on the viscoelastic properties of amorphous polymer films. Specifically, we explore the effects of molecular mass and network structure (physical vs. chemical crosslinking) on the elastic modulus and shear viscosity of styrene-based polymer films to demonstrate the capabilities of our approach.
Conference Dates
February 21-24, 2010
Conference Location
Daytona, FL, US
Conference Title
33rd Annual Meeting of the Adhesion Society

Keywords

wrinkling, surface, viscoelasticity, crosslinking, modulus, viscosity

Citation

Chan, E. , Lin, Q. and Stafford, C. (2010), Effect of chain architecture on the viscoelastic properties of polymer films measured via thermal wrinkling, 33rd Annual Meeting of the Adhesion Society, Daytona, FL, US, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=904853 (Accessed March 28, 2024)
Created February 20, 2010, Updated October 12, 2021