HVEM and high resolution SEM of polyurethane bulk and surface structure
Segmented polyurethanes (PUs) are composed of alternating blocks of crystalline or glassy urethane “hard segments” and rubbery “soft segments.” Chemical incompatability between hard segment (HS) and soft segment (SS) blocks produces a two-phase structure, which accounts for the elastomeric properties of these polymer systems. Polyurethanes are prepared with different HS and SS components, and HS:SS ratios, for various applications. Knowledge of the 3D morphology is necessary to understand polyurethane structure-property relationships. Although conventional transmission electron microscopy can image some polyurethanes, high voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) causes less radiation damage and images thicker samples at higher resolution, thus a sample region may be imaged at multiple tilt angles to provide 3D information. High resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) provides complementary information, and at low accelerating voltages (1-3 keV), images near surface structures.Polyurethanes were examined with hard segments of methylene diphenylene diisocyanate (MDI) and 2000 MW soft segments of polytetramethylene oxide (PTMO), polybutadiene (PBD) and polydimethysiloxane (PDMS).