Abstract

The distribution of crystallinity and the crystalline orientation of a poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) film have been studied using terahertz (THz) imaging. Terahertz images were developed by using the intensity ratio of the two spectral peaks at 1.42 and 2.03 THz that are assigned to the crystalline modes parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis (I_⊥/I||) of the PCL film. The obtained THz images show that the distribution of crystallinity and crystalline orientation vary considerably between the different regions in the PCL film, even though this inhomogeneity is not visible in the corresponding optical image. Our results clearly illustrate that THz imaging is a promising technique to characterize the physical properties of semi-crystalline polymers.

© 2017 The Author(s)

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