Preparation for (In Situ) Deformation Tests

Abstract

When polymers are placed under load, a wide variety of micromechanical processes may appear in them, including changes on the macromolecular level (on the nm scale), microvoid formation, crazing, shear band formation and yielding processes (on the μm scale), up to crack initiation, propagation and fracture (up to the mm scale).This chapter describes different techniques used to study these processes with various microscopes, including the investigation of fracture surfaces in the SEM and deformed samples by SEM, TEM or AFM. In particular, the preparation of semi-thin sections by (cryo)ultramicrotomy, mounting on a microtensile stage and investigation after deformation or in situ by TEM, ESEM or AFM are discussed.