HIGH-RESOLUTION TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY (HRTEM) AND IMAGE-ANALYSIS OF UPVC THIN-FILMS

The current model for the fine scale microstructure of unplasticized PVC (uPVC) has been built up using various quantitative techniques, such as wide and small angle X-ray diffraction. The use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as a more qualitative technique has been previously attempted (Meyer et al., 1978), revealing only amorphous detail on the scale of the expected crystallinity. For this study, a combination of high resolution TEM (HRTEM) and digital image processing techniques was utilized in order to verify the 'micro-domain' model proposed by Summers (1981). The techniques utilized here are particularly applicable in examining the fine-scale texture of oriented polymers.