The elimination of the influence of ambient environmental effects on the structure of `inert' polymers

Authors

Luis G. Rosa, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
P.A. Jacobson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Raymond Lemoine, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Peter A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

4-9-2004

Comments

Published in Journal of Applied Crystallography 37 (2004), 672-674. Copyright 2004 International Union of Crystallography. Used by permission. Applied Crystallography Online: http://journals.iucr.org/j/journalhomepage.html

Abstract

The construction and use of a vacuum chamber suitable for conventional X-ray diffraction has revealed the influence of the ambient environment, including moisture, on the bulk structure of very thin polymer films. It is concluded that studies of thin film organic systems, even those thought not to be perturbed by ambient water vapor and other contaminants, may benefit from undertaking some studies in such small sample vacuum chambers.