Polymer Wetting and Surface Chemistry

Investigating properties of a manufactured polymer film, a coated item or the behaviour of a polymer melt requires a qualitative and quantitative appreciation of the interaction at all surfaces.  The polymer / air, polymer / substrate interactions are crucial.

Contact angle measurements are important as is the understanding of surface chemical analytical techniques such as XPS and SIMS. Plasticisers and mobile low molecular species can affect wetting characteristics too which can be determined by FTIR leaching  or GC-MS tests.

Plastic component surface texture and mould line marks detected by optical microscopy and SEM/EDX indicate moulding process problems associated with heating and cooling rates and embrittlement may be due to excess or insufficient crystallinity detectable by DSC.  Micro-ATR FTIR can detect poor polymer mixing or curing and Pyrolysis GC-MS can find changes to additive packages.