Morphological Development of Immersion-Electrospun Polymer Products Based on Nonsolvent-Induced Phase Separation

ABSTRACTUsing video-optical microscopy and image analysis software, the morphological development of phase separation of polystyrene (PS) and poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blends is monitored for film thickness ranging from 200 to 700nm's. In the current studies, films are confined between glass slides. For blends having a PS volume fraction of 0.30 (the critical composition), the area fraction of the PS-rich minority phase, A, decreases more rapidly as film thickness decreases. At long times, the final A achieves a constant value which is less than the bulk value. The correlation length of concentration fluctuations increases more rapidly than the bulk scaling prediction, which suggests that wetting plays a significant role in the phase separation kinetics of thin films. Because of confinement, the shape of the PS-rich phase is anisotropic, flattened along the film direction. The confinement restricts the phase growth perpendicular to the film plane, and thus hinders the development of phase separation at very late stages.

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Bulk standards for low-temperature biological x-ray microanalysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100111525 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

pp. 282-283

Author(s):

P. Echlin ◽

M. McKoon ◽

E.S. Taylor ◽

C.E. Thomas ◽

K.L. Maloney ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase Separation ◽

Low Temperature ◽

Analytical Method ◽

Salt Solutions ◽

Absolute Concentration ◽

Cooling Process ◽

X Ray ◽

The Absolute ◽

Analytical Procedures ◽

Electrical Conductors

Although sections of frozen salt solutions have been used as standards for x-ray microanalysis, such solutions are less useful when analysed in the bulk form. They are poor thermal and electrical conductors and severe phase separation occurs during the cooling process. Following a suggestion by Whitecross et al we have made up a series of salt solutions containing a small amount of graphite to improve the sample conductivity. In addition, we have incorporated a polymer to ensure the formation of microcrystalline ice and a consequent homogenity of salt dispersion within the frozen matrix. The mixtures have been used to standardize the analytical procedures applied to frozen hydrated bulk specimens based on the peak/background analytical method and to measure the absolute concentration of elements in developing roots.

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Scanning Electron Microscopy and x-ray analysis of microparticles and early hydration effects

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100139834 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 692-693

Author(s):

Yun Lu ◽

David C. Joy

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽

High Resolution ◽

Morphological Development ◽

Early Hydration ◽

X Ray ◽

Blended Cements ◽

Powder Particles ◽

Chemical Wastes ◽

Scanning Electron

High resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDXA) were performed to investigate microparticles in blended cements and their hydration products containing sodium-rich chemical wastes. The physical appearance of powder particles and the morphological development at different hydration stages were characterized by using high resolution SEM Hitachi S-900 and by SEM S-800 with a EDX spectrometer. Microparticles were dispersed on the sample holder and glued by 1% palomino solution. Hydrated bulk samples were dehydrated by acetone and mounted on the holder by silver paste. Both fracture surfaces and flat cutting sections of hydrating samples were prepared and examined. Some specimens were coated with an 3 nm thick Au-Pd or Cr layer to provide good conducting surfaces. For high resolution SEM S-900 observations the accelerating voltage of electrons was 1-2 KeV to protect the electron charging. Microchemical analyses were carried out by S800/EDS equipped with a LINK detector of take-off angle =40°.

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SEM study of the morphological effects of kinetin and zeatin on the growth and development of the apical meristem in wheat

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100141263 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 978-979

Author(s):

G. M. Hutchins ◽

J. S. Gardner

Keyword(s):

Growth And Development ◽

Furfuryl Alcohol ◽

Apical Meristem ◽

Plant Cells ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Morphological Development ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Chinese Spring Wheat ◽

Sem Study ◽

Moist Environment

Cytokinins are plant hormones that play a large and incompletely understood role in the life-cycle of plants. The goal of this study was to determine what roles cytokinins play in the morphological development of wheat. To achieve any real success in altering the development and growth of wheat, the cytokinins must be applied directly to the apical meristem, or spike of the plant. It is in this region that the plant cells are actively undergoing mitosis. Kinetin and Zeatin were the two cytokinins chosen for this experiment. Kinetin is an artificial hormone that was originally extracted from old or heated DNA. Kinetin is easily made from the reaction of adenine and furfuryl alcohol. Zeatin is a naturally occurring hormone found in corn, wheat, and many other plants.Chinese Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was used for this experiment. Prior to planting, the seeds were germinated in a moist environment for 72 hours.

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Phase separation in sol gel-derived ceramic films of silica-zirconia, alumina-zirconia, and titania-zirconia system

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100170967 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 52 ◽

pp. 646-647

Author(s):

J. Tong ◽

L. Eyring

Keyword(s):

Fracture Toughness ◽

Phase Separation ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Great Influence ◽

High Strength ◽

Chemical Durability ◽

Separation Method ◽

Toughening Mechanism ◽

Ceramic Films ◽

Zirconia Toughened Alumina

There is increasing interest in composites containing zirconia because of their high strength, fracture toughness, and its great influence on the chemical durability in glass. For the zirconia-silica system, monolithic glasses, fibers and coatings have been obtained. There is currently a great interest in designing zirconia-toughened alumina including exploration of the processing methods and the toughening mechanism.The possibility of forming nanocrystal composites by a phase separation method has been investigated in three systems: zirconia-alumina, zirconia-silica and zirconia-titania using HREM. The morphological observations initially suggest that the formation of nanocrystal composites by a phase separation method is possible in the zirconia-alumina and zirconia-silica systems, but impossible in the zirconia-titania system. The separation-produced grain size in silica-zirconia system is around 5 nm and is more uniform than that in the alumina-zirconia system in which the sizes of the small polyhedron grains are around 10 nm. In the titania-zirconia system, there is no obvious separation as was observed in die alumina-zirconia and silica-zirconia system.

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