Abstract
The present communication reports the first use of electron tomography in reconstructing the three-dimensional morphology in thermoplastic elastomer blends. The blends investigated were dynamically vulcanized blends of ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM) rubber/poly(propylene)/oil and polystyrene-block-(ethylene-co-butylene)-block-polystyrene (SEBS)/poly(propylene)/oil. An easy identification of blend morphology could be carried out at blend compositions, where conventional transmission electron microscopic imaging gives misleading information. This technique gives a higher resolution than any other microscopic technique, and is applicable to blends with dispersed as well as co-continuous morphologies.
Original language | Undefined |
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Pages (from-to) | 542-547 |
Journal | Macromolecular rapid communications |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2005 |
Keywords
- Blends
- IR-58295
- SEBS block copolymers
- METIS-228817
- electron tomography
- Thermoplastic vulcanizates
- Electron microscopy