Basics and Applications of Rubber Analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is an analysis and measurement instrument that irradiates a narrowly focused electron beam onto a sample. It detects electrons, cathodoluminescence and characteristic X-rays emitted by the interaction of the incident electron beam in the material. SEM is widely used by many researchers because of the various analytical targets, such as metals, semiconductors, and biological samples. On the other hand, we must carefully consider electron beam damage and charging artifact for soft materials because the irradiation source of SEM is electrons. One of the most difficult soft materials is rubber. Rubber is a kind of polymeric material, and each product required different properties such as elasticity, hardness, flame resistance, heat resistance, ozone resistance, and low-temperature properties. This paper introduces practical measurement methods for rubber materials using SEM and the latest examples of applied analysis.