Cryogenic Ultramicrotome

纳米复合材料和聚合物共混物的纳米颗粒或分散相的精细形态表征需要使用透射电子显微镜（TEM）分析。然而，透射电镜观测需要超薄样品，通常厚度约为500nm。在综合理工学院和蒙特利尔大学都没有这种设备，而且由于时间、操作和费用的原因，蒙特利尔地区也不容易获得这些设备；这限制了研究人员在这一应用领域的许多研究项目的进展。所要求的设备是一个具有精密切割系统，触摸敏感控制和样品室的微型组。此外，该系统还配备了一个具有180°旋转显微镜载体的立体显微镜，一个抗振动台，一个用于玻璃刀和钻石刀的刀架，样品架和钳子，最重要的是一个低温室（使用液氮），用于切割玻璃化转变温度低于室温的聚合物基样品。预计该设备将为理工学院和蒙特利尔大学的10多名教授提供支持，以促进他们在纳米复合材料、共混物和功能纳米结构方面的研究项目。

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.