Microanalysis of Polymers with Special Emphasis on Surface Characterization

Abstract

When small amounts of a substance are enriched in small volumes or in monolayers at the surface of a solid body, th0065y can be directly detected by instrumental analysis methods without any chemical separation. In the polymer field surface analysis with methods like ESCA, AES, SIMS, and ISS is still in its infancy. Examples of application are the investigation of surface changes, such as the effects of weathering, etching and corona treatments, and the detection of surface deposits consisting of materials like antistatic agents, lubricants, and exuded constituents. Because of their high surface sensitivity and ability to differentiate between surface and bulk phenomena, surface analysis methods are particularly suitable for the investigation of interfaces between polymers and metals, e.g. in radial tires or cable insulations. It is pointed out that in these cases the inadequacies of the preparation methods limit the value of the analytical findings more than the inadequacies of the analysis methods.