(6) For making thin films from polymers that can be dissolved into solutions, the Roto-Film™ is an excellent alternative. Films are spin cast on a rapidly turning platen designed to hold standard aluminum weighing dishes, which are disposable. The edges of the weighing dish can be cut off to make a flat highly reflective surface that can be placed into a specular reflection accessory for analysis or the film can simply be peeled off the bottom of the weighing dish. Alternatively, films can be cast on a polished aluminum concave platen, on a Real Crystal® IR Card or on a KBr window. For most polymers, the film is complete within 60 seconds. If the film is cast on a KBr window, the window is simply mounted in a spectrophotometer ...
The Tensioner™ makes thin films from liquids and solutions using a unique new surface tension technology which does not require a substrate such as a crystal. It can be used for transmission sampling or as a microscope stage. Films are drawn over the triangular aperture formed by a stretched filament. The sample is drawn up from a well by moving the base of the triangle across the two filament legs thereby feeding the liquid to the stretched filament. Since there is no substrate, just sample, the sensitivity is unbeatable and it is extremely useful for difficult samples such as hair spray, organic acids, cyanoacrylates, and epoxy resins. It can also be used to study tensile strength and physical properties.
