Observations of the Shapes of a Variety of Nanofibers

User Benefits

- From nanometer scale to micrometer scale, we can observe the shapes of nanofibers made from different materials and different manufacturing methods. - The fine structure of a single nanofiber can be clearly observed. - The fiber diameter of individual nanofibers can be measured.

Introduction

Nanofibers such as cellulose nanofibers (CNF) have diameters in the order of a few nm to 100 nm. In combination with plastics, they form composite materials with potential applications in the fields of automotive parts, electronic materials, and packaging materials. The shapes and sizes of nanofibers are largely responsible for the mechanical strength of these composite materials. Accordingly, assessing and controlling these attributes are important for developing and manufacturing composite materials suited for particular applications. The shapes and sizes of nanofibers vary depending on the raw material and manufacturing method, and in the manufacturing process, micrometer-sized nanofibers are not unusual. Combining a laser scanning microscope (LSM) with a scanning probe microscope (SPM) /atomic force microscope (AFM) makes it possible to check the shapes and sizes of everything from fibers in the manufacturing process (micrometer-sized fibers) to finished products (nanometer-sized fibers). This article introduces examples of the use of an LSM and SPM to assess the shapes and sizes of various nanofibers with different raw materials and manufacturing methods.

January 6, 2022 GMT