A practical guide to the study and understanding of the structure of synthetic polymer materials using the complete range of microscopic techniques. The major part of this book is devoted to specimen preparation and applications. Light microscopy is treated on an equal footing with scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Topics such as microtomy, staining, polishing, etching, fracture and critical point drying are fully described. The application of microscopy to the problem solving of a wide range of polymer systems is described: these include fibres, films, engineering resins and plastics, composites and polymer blends, emulsions and a special section on liquid crystalline polymers. Applications of model studies for research and more detailed problem solving structure-property studies are presented. This second edition includes a new chapter, additional applications and imaging considerations using microscopy techniques that have become popular during the last eight years. Highlighted are field emission and low voltage scanning electron microscopy and the scanning probe microscopies, namely scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy.
New applications and additional references provide a critical update. "Polymer Microscopy" is written primarily for the industrial microscopist, but all polymer scientists and engineers will find the work a valuable reference source. This book should be of interest to all R&D staff concerned with characterization of polymers, libraries in materials science, chemical engineering, and manufacturing university departments.