Fluorescence study on Al2O3-polystyrene latex composite film formation

Abstract

This work reports a steady state fluorescence (SSF) technique for studying film formation from mixture of Al2O3 and polystyrene (PS) latex particles. The composite films were prepared from dispersion of pyrene (P)labeled PS particles in Al2O3 solution at room temperature and annealed at elevated temperatures in 10-min time interval above glass transition (T-g) temperature of polystyrene. Nine different composites film were studied in various latex contents. Fluorescence intensities (I-P) from P were measured after each annealing step to monitor the stages of film formation. No variations in I-p were detected for the films prepared with higher than 33 wt% Al2O3 content. However films prepared below 33 wt% Al2O3 content show considerable increase in I-P above the certain onset temperature called minimum film forming temperature, To. Healing temperatures T., were determined from the maxima of I-P. Void closure and interdiffusion stages were modeled and related activation energies were determined and found to be 20 and 97 kJ.mol(-1), respectively.