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Full Record for Micrograph 647
- Micrograph no
- 647
- Brief description
- A spherulite imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM)
- Keywords
- atomic force microscopy
, polymer , spherulite , texture - Categories
- Polymer
- System
- Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)
- Composition
- Not specified
- Standard codes
- Reaction
- Processing
- Applications
- PHB is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic, and has properties similar to such commonly used plastics as polypropylene and polyethylene. Because of the polymer's biological origin it is completely biodegradable. However, unlike most other biological polymers, it is relatively hydrophobic, and, being a thermoplastic, melt processable, opening up the possibility of use as a packaging material.
- Sample preparation
- Technique
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
- Length bar
- 3 μm
- Further information
- Imaging at low resolution (this image is ~15 microns square) we can obtain information similar to that seen optically, with the added advantage of height data. This image shows a single spherulite surrounded by uncrystallized melt at room temperature. The band structure (commonly observed optically) can be seen as concentric ridges and valleys. Growth rates can be measured from consecutive images and are in good agreement with optical data.
- Contributor
- J Hobbs
- Organisation
- Scanning Probe Microscopy Group, Bristol University
- Date
- 03/10/02
- Licence for re-use
DoITPoMS standard terms of use- Related micrographs