PHASE MORPHOLOGY OF POLYMER BLENDS .2. SEM OBSERVATION BY SECONDARY AND BACKSCATTERED ELECTRONS FROM MICROTOMED AND STAINED SURFACE

A recently developed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique, which consists of the preparation of a microtomed flat surface, staining with OsO4 or RuO4, and compositional contrast observation using backscattered electrons, was applied for high impact polystyrene and propylene-ethylene block copolymer. A clear contrast was obtained for both polymers. By minor revision, i.e. by employing the secondary electron image under a low accelerating voltage, a much better contrast was observed.