Nanotechnology

Image processing method to enhance visualization of electron microscope images of rubber materials

Provided by: University of Tsukuba

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have developed a new imaging method to clearly visualize nanoscale structures within rubber materials. The research is published in the journal ACS Applied Nano Materials.

Traditional electron microscopy often produces noisy images that obscure the internal contours of the rubber. The proposed method succeeded in capturing the reticular molecular network structure and quantifying the factors involved in the internal structure.

Rubber has unique properties such as softness and elasticity, and is used in a wide range of applications, from tires to medical materials. Molecular bonds form a complex network structure and have a significant impact on the physical properties of rubber. However, in conventional electron microscope images, the outline of the rubber is obscured by noise, making it difficult to understand the precise internal structure of the rubber.

To address this issue, the researchers developed a new image processing method for electron microscopy images that selectively increases the visibility of regions where rubber molecules are assembled in networks.

By integrating knowledge of rubber materials and advanced mathematical techniques, this new method provides a visual representation of the internal network structure of rubber at the nanoscale, even in poorly defined and very noisy electron microscopy images. will be revealed.

The new method can automatically calculate network regions, which had to be manually identified using conventional methods, eliminating arbitrariness and making it possible to analyze multiple samples simultaneously.

The researchers used a new method to measure the network length of each sample. The processed data were highly correlated with experimental values, confirming the reliability of the new method.

The results of this research are expected to promote the development of safe, economical, and high-performance rubber materials, and contribute to society by saving resources and energy.

Further information: Masato Suzuki et al., Application of a Hessian-based image processing method to enhance visualization of nanoscale rubber cross-linked network structures from electron microscopy images, ACS Applied Nano Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.4c04855

Provided by: University of Tsukuba

Citation: Image processing method enhances visualization of electron microscopy images of rubber materials (November 22, 2024), from https://phys.org/news/2024-11-image-method-visualization-electron-microscope Retrieved November 23, 2024. html

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