Studies on surface structures of poly(ethylene oxide)-segmented nylon films

The surface structures of three kinds of poly(ethylene oxide)-segmented nyl on (PEO-Ny) molten films were investigated using a scanning electron micros copy (SEM), an electron spectroscopy for a chemical analysis (ESCA), and a static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS). The PEG-Ny's used were high semicrystalline PEG-segmented poly(iminosebacoyliminohexamethylene) (PEO-N y610), low semicrystalline PEG-segmented poly(iminosebacoylimino-m-xylene) (PEO-NyM10), and amorphous PEG-segmented poly(iminoisophthaloyliminomethyle ne-1,3-cyclohexylenemethylene) (PEO-NyBI). SEM observations show that the s urfaces of the PEO-Ny610 and PEO-NyM10 films are composed of spherulite, an d that PEO-NyBI film has a smooth surface. The results of ESCA and SSIMS ex hibit the significant enrichments of PEO segment at the surfaces of all the films regardless of the crystallinity. The reason for the enrichment of PE G segment was discussed in terms of the surface tension of the correspondin g homopolymers in the melting state. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.