Phenom world prox scanning electron microscope

Example 8

Twenty-nine sintered polyethylene discs (Porex 4901) with a total mass of 1.00 g and dimensions of 0.21″ diameter and a height of 0.22″ were combined with 1.00 g of a monomer solution of 0.666 g of n-heptane, 0.330 g of technical grade divinylbenzene (80% purity), and 0.0033 g of thermal radical initiator, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The discs and monomer solution were placed in a 65° C. oven, agitated, and allowed to polymerize for 24 hours. The porous DVB polymer coated discs were removed from the oven, rinsed in three aliquots of 20 mL acetone and then dried in the 65° C. oven for one hour. A single disc was cut in half with a single edge razor and then prepared for imaging by sputtering with gold using a Thermo Fisher Scientific Phenom World ProX scanning electron microscope. A representative image is shown in FIG. 9. From this image, a cross-sectional view of the porous polymer coating with a rough surface surrounding a sintered polyethylene substrate. The thickness of the porous polymer layer ranges from about 2 microns to 10 microns.