Cryogenic Ultramicrotome

纳米复合材料和含有纳米颗粒或分散相的聚合物共混物的精细形态表征需要使用透射电子显微镜(TEM)分析。然而，透射电子显微镜的观察需要超薄的样品，通常厚度约为500纳米。理工学院和蒙特利尔大学都没有这样的设备，蒙特利尔地区的设备也不容易获得，因为时间、可操作性和成本；这限制了研究人员在这一应用中的许多研究项目中的优势。所要求的设备是具有精密切割系统、触敏控制和样品室的超微切割机。此外，该系统还配备了带有180°旋转显微镜载体的立体显微镜、防振台、用于玻璃和钻石刀具的刀架、样品夹和钳子，最重要的是配备了一个冷冻室(使用液氮)来切割玻璃化转变温度低于室温的聚合物样品。预计该设备向理工学院和蒙特利尔大学的10多名教授提供，将促进他们开展与纳米复合材料、混合物和功能纳米结构相关的研究项目。

Fine morphological characterization of nanocomposites and polymer blends with nanosized particles or dispersed phase requires the use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) anaysis. However, TEM observations require ultrathin samples, generally about 500 nm in thickness. No such equipment is available at Polytechnique nor at the University of Montreal and those available in the Montreal region are not easily accessible because of time availability, operability and costs; which limits the adavnces in many research projects of the researchers in this application. The requested equipment is an ultramicrotome with precise cutting system, touch-sensitive control and sample chamber. In addition the system is equipped with a stereomicroscope with a 180° swiveling microscope carrier, an antivibration table, a knife holder for glass and diamond knives, sample holders and forceps, and most importantly a cryogenic chamber (using liquid nitrogen) to cut polymer-based samples that have a glass transition temperature below room temperature. It is expected that the availability of this equipment to the more than 10 professors in Polytechnique and University of Montreal will foster their research projects related to nanocomposites, blends and functional nanostructures.