Abstract:
This research is the study concerning with the development of a technique for surface characterization of polymers by ATR FT-IR spectroscopy. Polymers being employed in this study are polycarbonate (PC) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The research consists of the calculation of number of reflections in ATR prism from experimental results, the determination of the condition under which an optical contact between solid sample and ATR prism is obtained, and the determination of sampling depth in ATR experiment. It was found that the number of reflections in ATR prism calculated from experimental results is always smaller than that calculated via theoretical means. The contact between solid sample and ATR prism can be improved by replacing an air gap existing at the interface between the sample and ATR prism with easily evaporated liquid. The capillary force improves contact between the two surfaces. The sampling depth can be calculated from the decay characteristic of the electric field. The calculated value can be expressed in terms of experimental parameters, material characteristics, and the spectral intensity of material.
