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U.S. Department of Energy
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Small-angle neutron scattering facilities and polymer research at Oak Ridge

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5618694
Before the application of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to study polymer structure, chain conformation studies were limited to light and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques, usually conducted in dilute solution. The role of neutron scattering in polymer physics arises from the difference in the coherent scattering length between deuterium and hydrogen which results in a marked scattering contrast between molecules synthesized from normal and deuterated monomer units. It was realized in the late sixties that SANS from blends of normal and labeled molecules could give for the first time direct information on chain conformation in bulk polymers. In addition, water soluble polymers may be examined in H/sub 2/O/D/sub 2/O mixtures using contrast variation methods to provide further information on polymer structure. This paper reviews some of the information which has been provided by this technique using examples of experiments performed at the National Center for Small-Angle Scattering Research.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5618694
Report Number(s):
CONF-8504143-2; ON: DE85011561
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English