Characterization Of Island-In-The-Sea Bi-Component Nylon/Polyethylene Terephthalate Fibers Using Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy

Abstract

Within the last two decades, there has been growing interest in material properties at the nanoscale. The Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy (AFAM) technique has been proven to be very useful for its ability to detect material properties at the nanoscale without sample damage. The following project has proven that the Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy technique can be used on soft materials such as fibers. The nylon/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers were embedded in epoxy and microtomed in order to create a flat surface for imaging. The cross section of fibers was imaged using the AFAM technique. Information from the AFAM was then combined with mechanical beam theory in order to calculate the Young's modulus. The resulting measurements showed tip wear was not an influential force on the calculated Young's modulus results. On the other hand, changing the cantilever appears to have a great impact on calculated results. In regards to the fibers studied, the Young's modulus across the cross section of the fiber was discovered to be homogenous, with little changes seen from the center fibers to the peripheral fibers.