Thermomechanical and fractographic behavior of poly (HDDA‐co‐MMA): a study for its application in microcantilever sensors

Abstract

Polymer‐based materials have drawn significant attention lately for their application in design and fabrication of thermomechanically stable highly sensitive three‐dimensional (3D) micromechanical sensor structures. Among these materials, 1,6 Hexane diol diacrylate (HDDA) has been extensively explored in laser‐based 3D microfabrication by microstereolithography. The thermomechanical properties of poly HDDA are important for their end use application in microcantilever‐based sensors. The present work explores the optimization of these properties by copolymerization of HDDA and methyl methacrylate (MMA) for these specific applications. The dynamic mechanical analysis, thermal expansion and mechanical studies were carried out for different compositions of poly (HDDA‐co‐MMA). An increase in MMA content in the copolymer matrix resulted in the enhancement of the thermomechanical stability. The variations of thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) for different compositions were also studied. Microhardness, uniaxial tensile, and flexural tests along with Poisson's ratio were determined to understand the mechanical properties of these compositions. The scanning electron micrographs of fractured surfaces of all the compositions were analyzed to understand the fracture mechanism of various compositions of this copolymer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.