Morphological changes of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) by heat treatment on NaCl

Abstract

Fine granules of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) were heat-treated/annealed on NaCl near its melting temperature (Tm) and/or at a temperature (Tc) between upper and lower feet of the exothermic peak in the DSC cooling process from Tm. Morphological changes of the granules were examined in the bright- and dark-field modes by transmission electron microscopy. When the granules were heat-treated near Tm, microfibrils of 20–30 nm in width and fibrils of 70–120 nm in width came out of the granules. The microfibrils were also observed in the fibrils. The microfibrils formed by heat treatment near Tm seemed to be identified as microfibrils of 20–30 nm in width which were recognized outside the granules annealed at Tc. It is expected that such a microfibril will grow to be a band in the band structure observed on the surface of bulk PTFE. Since the 0015 dark-field images showed that the PTFE chains in such microfibrils and fibrils are set perpendicular to their fibril axis, the chains should fold back and forth repeatedly at both lateral side-surfaces of the microfibrils and fibrils.