Network Polymer Degredation Mechanisms Using nanoIR Spectroscopy

This webinar was presented by Anasys Instruments to discuss network polymer degradation mechanisms using their nanoscale infrared spectroscopy technology called AFM-IR.

Dr. Eoghan Dillon from Anasys first gave an introduction to their AFM-IR technology. AFM-IR works by detecting the thermal expansion of a sample when irradiated with pulsed infrared light. This allows for nanoscale infrared spectroscopy and chemical imaging.

Dillon discussed some recent innovations in AFM-IR like tapping AFM-IR and fast spectra technology. Tapping AFM-IR uses an oscillating tip to intermittently contact the sample, improving spatial resolution to 10 nm. Fast spectra technology uses a continuous laser sweep to reduce acquisition time from minutes to seconds, enabling hyperspectral imaging.

Dr. Suzanne Morsch from the University of Manchester then presented her research using AFM-IR:

• Water damage to epoxy phenolic coatings: Water uptake was heterogeneous, occurring more in crosslinked regions, leading to a nano-porous structure upon immersion.
• UV aging of linseed oil paints containing titanium white pigments: AFM-IR revealed local degradation near pigment particles and showed that the carboxylic acid peak may be a better indicator of degradation than lactone peaks.
• Electrical aging of epoxy amine resins: Localized chemistry changes were found near visibly damaged regions using AFM-IR. Esters formed outside of damage tracks while alkynes concentrated just outside tracks.

Dillon then discussed other AFM-IR accessories and answered questions from the audience about sample thickness requirements, polarization experiments, and system upgrades.

Find out more about the technology featured in this webinar or our other solutions for nano-IR:

Note that some Q&A responses in our older webinars may not reflect current offerings. Check out our latest capabilities at Nanoscale Infrared Spectrometers | Bruker.

• For tapping mode, is the IR signal acquired at F2 or still at F1? Is the signal acquired simultaneously with the topography image or a second repeated scan?
• Are contact based methods still used or has tapping mode IR totally replaced those?
• Is there any special environmental needs for these instruments?
• Regarding the electrical degradation of insulators, is there any C-AFM/KPFM measurement done the correlates with the infrared imaging?
• Can you share more details of hyperspectral imaging for the pharma industry?
• Are there any requirements for sample thicknesses?
• For the degradation experiment, were there any polarization-sensitive experiments done?
• Can the nanoIR2 or nanoIR be upgraded with the latest developments?