| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/S58263/01 |
| Title: |
Scanning Probe Microscopy of Polymer Nucleation |
| Principal Investigator: |
Hobbs, Professor J |
| Other Investigators: |
|
| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
| Project Partners: |
|
| Department: |
Chemistry |
| Organisation: |
University of Sheffield |
| Scheme: |
First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC |
| Starts: |
01 March 2004 |
Ends: |
31 July 2006 |
Value (£): |
122,965
|
| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
Materials Processing |
| Surfaces & Interfaces |
|
|
| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Manufacturing |
Electronics |
|
| Related Grants: |
|
| Panel History: |
|
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
|
The way in which polymers crystallize is of considerable industrial significance as it controls both their processability and final properties. It is also area of ever increasing academic interest combining the rich subject areas of phase transformations, soft solids and complex fluids. The nucleation is perhaps the most poorly understood part of the transformation, due to its rarity, and yet it is the nucleation event that most strongly controls the molecular orientation of a polymeric material. This project will utilise newly developed instrumentation techniques in scanning probe microscopy (S image for the first time the process of nucleation in real-time with nanometre resolution - at the fundamental length scales of the process. The highly sensitive force measuring capabilities of the atomic force microscope will also be used, to measure the forces on a single molecule as it is pulled from a nucleating surface. This work will provide unambiguous information to test existing theories and to inform the development of an improved theoreti understanding. The research will be carried out at University of Bristol Physics Department at a total cost of 119659, and will, as the First Grant Hobbs, help to consolidate his and the UK's current leading role in the application of SPM to in-situ studies of polymer processes.
|
|
Key Findings |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Impacts |
|
| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
|
| Date Materialised |
|
|
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
| Project URL: |
|
| Further Information: |
|
| Organisation Website: |
http://www.shef.ac.uk |