Interfacial structure and chemistry in a ceramic/polymer composite material

Abstract

The microstructure and microchemistry of ceramic/polymer interfaces in a calcium aluminate/polyvinyl alcohol composite material have been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution electron microscopy (HREM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Interfaces consisted of an amorphous interphase layer, inside of which were dispersed metastably retained CaAl2O5 · 8H2O crystallites. The amorphous phase was a mixture of the hydration products of calcium aluminate and aluminum–crosslinked, polyvinyl alcohol. The crystalline hydration product CaAl2O5 · 8H2O was metastably retained due to polymer poisoning of nucleation sites and significant reduction of conversion kinetics.