Formation of nanostructured polymer surfaces from combined relaxation and crystallization

Atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical microscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy were used to investigate both relaxation and crystallization processes, which can be observed either subsequently or simultaneously, depending on their kinetics. It was shown that the dissipation of mechanical energy upon rubbing induces plastic deformations, appearing as parallel grooves of varying depth, and alignment of the chains along the rubbing direction. During the relaxation of the rubbed surfaces, the formation of a hierarchical surface structure with two characteristic wavelengths was observed.