The Molar Mass Dependence of Latex Particle Deformation

As a first step in the study of the molar mass dependence of film formation, the rate of deformation and the spreading of individually adsorbed latex particles has been measured under dry conditions using atomic force microscopy. These data recorded at different temperatures and for particles with different molecular weights have been compared with glass transition temperatures and minimum film formation temperatures. The preliminary results indicate that the speed of the deformation process depends on both molar mass and temperature, while the maximum extend of spreading only shows a molar mass dependence close to Tg.