Free-volume hole relaxation in molecularly oriented glassy polymers.

The free-volume hole relaxation in polycarbonate and poly(methyl methacrylate) with different levels of molecular orientation was studied by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy at variable pressures. The molecular orientation was achieved through a simple shear process performed at different temperatures and extrusion rates. It has been demonstrated that the ß relaxation is largely responsible for the free-volume hole anisotropy after simple shear orientation. Upon the removal of mechanical force, the deformation of the free volume is mostly reversible at temperatures much lower than the glass transition. No strong correlation between macroscopic deformation and the free-volume hole deformation was found regardless of molecular orientation.

Solving the charging effect in insulating materials probed by a variable monoenergy slow positron beam.

A variable monoenergy slow positron beam (VMSPB) operating at a high vacuum on insulating materials encounters a problem of significant surface charging effect with time. As a result, positronium formation is inhibited, and the positron annihilation radiation counting rate is reduced; these consequently distorted the experimental positron annihilation and results. To solve such problems, a technique of depositing an ultrathin layer of sputtering noble metals on insulators is developed. We report a successful method of sputtering a few atomic layers of platinum (∼1 nm) on a polyamide membrane to completely remove the charging effect for VMSPB applications in insulators.