Surface aggregation structure and surface mechanical properties of binary polymer blend thin films

During preparation of very thin polymer belnd films from a solution of poly mers, the phase-separated structures which are quite different from that ob served for the bulk blend film was observed. From atomic force microscopic( AFM) observation, it is concluded that the surface undulation, which reflec ts the phase separated morphology of the blend system, is present. In the c ase of (polystyrene(PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)) blend system, a la rge influence of end-group chemistry on the surface morphology was observed . The phase identification of the (rubbery polymer/glassy polymer) binary b lend thin films was successfully achieved by scanning vioscoelasticity micr osopy(SVM).