Morphology control of poly(vinylidene fluoride) thin film made with electrospray

Thin polymer films of poly(vinylidene fluoride) were prepared with electrospray. Effects of solvent, initial spray concentration, temperature, solution conductivity, and polymer size on the film morphology were studied with AFM. The two main factors controlling polymer film morphology are the drople...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of colloid and interface science 2006-06, Vol.298 (2), p.639-651
Main Authors: Rietveld, Ivo B., Kobayashi, K., Yamada, H., Matsushige, K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical Sciences
Chemistry
Electrohydrodynamic atomization
Electrospray
Electrospray deposition
Exact sciences and technology
General and physical chemistry
Morphology control
Poly(vinylidene fluoride)
Polymer
Thin film
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Summary:Thin polymer films of poly(vinylidene fluoride) were prepared with electrospray. Effects of solvent, initial spray concentration, temperature, solution conductivity, and polymer size on the film morphology were studied with AFM. The two main factors controlling polymer film morphology are the droplet size of the spray and the viscosity of the solution at deposition. These factors determine the flow of the polymer-solvent mixture over the substrate, the density of the film, and its smoothness. The solvent is a key parameter of the entire process. It affects spray stability, polymer solubility, droplet size of the spray, and viscosity of the solution at deposition. Solvents with a low vapor pressure provide a wider window for optimization of other parameters and are therefore preferred over solvents with high vapor pressure. The viscosity at deposition is mainly controlled with the initial spray concentration, polymer size, temperature, and droplet size. The droplet size is best controlled by the conductivity of the solution and the flow rate of the spray.
ISSN:0021-9797
1095-7103
DOI:10.1016/j.jcis.2005.12.028