Impress school: Correlative orientation information on printed polymers and during thermal processing

This hands-on SAXS experiment for the IMPRESS school aims to demonstrate the power of synchrotron-based small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for studying polymer orientation and nanostructural evolution under different processing conditions. Using the thermoplastic polyurethane TPU98A as a model system, participants will investigate samples in three conditions: as-received, 3D printed, and manually stretched on a correlative sample holder. SAXS data will be collected to quantify orientation anisotropy and explore nanostructural alignment induced by mechanical deformation and printing. Following this, a thermal treatment and controlled recrystallization will be performed to observe structural rearrangements and phase development. The SAXS results will be correlated with complementary measurements using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), providing a multi-technique approach to understanding polymer morphology.