Surface structuring upon deformation of amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) film with a thin aluminum coating

The structural and mechanical behavior of PET films with a regular surface microrelief induced by stretching PET films with a thin aluminum coating wa s studied. For the first time, the samples obtained after removal of the fr agments of metallic coating from their surface were investigated. As was sh own, upon the deformation of a PET film with a thin aluminum coating, the o rientational crystallization of a thin surface layer takes place in the reg ions between the coating fragments. This layer may be considered as a thin rigid coating on the surface of a soft amorphous matrix which provides the development of a regular microrelief on the surface of polymer upon its rep eated deformation. A key role of the rigidity of a polymer substrate in the stability of relief without any stabilizing metallic coating was discussed .