I just prepared a polymer alumina composite hybrid at 0.2: 0.8 ratio by wet milling method and coat on copper foil. XRD investigation shows only the peaks from copper substrate. There are no peaks from Al2O3 and binder polymer. What is behind?
Thank you!
Hi...
How many hours have you milled this composite. If you do long time, the composite might become nm, and how much quantity of the powders have you taken for XRD. Perhaps, the X-ray computed only Copper foil instead of composite material. Better you can again this experiment.
Wish you good luck.
Hi Venkata,
Thank you for your suggestion. I milled for 24 hrs. The primary size of the alumina is nm scale level.
Hi,
Since you have done wet milling, what is the solvent that you have used for milling? If the polymer dissolves in the solvent while milling, then it is difficult to find the peaks of polymer (Wish this is not the reason).
Coming to Al2O3: As mentioned in the other answer, the particle size of alumina may reduce, but definitely not in the sub nanoscale regime. The surface of nanoscale alumina may be covered with an amorphous layer of polymer where capturing the composites' reflection is tricky. Because, the intensity of copper outnumbers the intensity of polymer:alumina signal. Here, I would recommend to go for GXRD rather powder thin film XRD.
Also, check whether monochromator has been installed with detector.
Hope this helps.
Hi Krishan,
Thank you so much. Yes, the polymer is dissolved in the solvent I used. the particle size of alumina is 13nm.
Hi
13 nm particles should give peaks although broad. I can see two reasons why you don't.
1: your layer is too thin. You could try to run a Grazing incident scan across the major peak with a long steptime, then open the scan together with a random full 2 theta scan to increase Y/X ratio of a broad peak.
2: Al2O3 could be amorpheous
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Physics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid State Physics
- PEAKS