An Industrial Perspective on Polymer Science Research using Synchrotron Radiation
Roger A. Leach
Research Manager - DuPont Central Research and Development
Experimental Station
Wilmington, DE 19880-0302
I will highlight several examples of how synchrotron radiation has been used to characterize polymers through a variety of experiments performed by DuPont at the APS over the past 5 years using small- angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), diffraction, and x-ray micro- tomography. The talk with demonstrate the many ways in which x-ray- based methods can provide additive information at many points in the overall polymer production value-chain, from monomer synthesis, to final polymer processing. Recommendations for improving the accessibility of synchrotron x-ray experiments for industrial users, and the usefulness of synchrotron radiation experimental beamlines for the (sometimes) unique problems from industry will be offered.