16th Interantional Young Poland

Stanisław Staszic
Physicists Tournament Secondary School in Warsaw

3. Transparent film
If you cover printed text with a piece of
transparent polyethylene film you can
still easily read it. As you gradually lift up
the film, the text becomes increasingly
blurred and may even disappear. Study
the properties of the film. On what
parameters of the film is the phenomenon
based?
3. Transparent film
 What is diffusive scattering?
Diffusive scattering is responsible for a blur effect and less
saturation.
A part of an incident ray (which depends on the refractive
index) will be deflected by two surfaces of the plate.

The amount of scattered light gets higher as internal

irregularities and surface roughness increase.
 Types of diffusive scattering

The character of scattering of light by a

given material has an influence on the
quality of the visible image

Wide-angle
Small angle
Wide-angle scattering
Small-angle scattering
 Sharpness of the image vs. distance
of the object (HDPE film)

Pic 1: A picture of the text of the problem as seen through a polyethylene film
placed on the page

Pic2: A picture of the same text as seen through the foil placed 3 cm above the page

Conclusion: It is mainly a narrow angle scattering !

 Types of poliethylene
• HDPE
• LDPE
• LLDPE

• MDPE
Sharpness of the image vs.
type of poliethylene
 Sharpness of the image vs.
type of poliethylene
We have measured intensity of light, that passed through
high density and low density poliethylene using the following system:

light intensity meter

poliethylene film
laser
voltmeter
 Sharpness of the image vs.
type of poliethylene
Film: HDPE; 0,009mm
1
0,9
0,8
Intensity

0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Distance [cm]
 Sharpness of the image vs.
type of poliethylene
Film: LDPE; 0,07mm
1
Intensity

0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50
0

distance [cm]
 Sharpness of the image vs.
type of poliethylene
• The scattering on high density poliethylene is much bigger
than on low density poliethylene, hence, the type of
polyethylene polymerization has a big influence on our
phenomenon 1

Intensity
0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
1 0,1
0,9 0
0,8

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50
0

5
Intensity

0,7
0,6 distance [cm]
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Distance [cm]
 Incfluence of dyes

Thin film / small concentration of dye – small influence

 Influence of dyes

small concentration of dye – big influence

 Influence of dyes

• In case of thin film or small concentration of dye

the influence is unobservable.

• In case of big concentration of dye in film, absorption

of light increases, hence the film becomes non-
transparent
HDPE - Sharpness of the image vs. thickness of
the film
LDPE - Sharpness of the image vs. thickness of
the film
LDPE - Sharpness of the image vs. thickness of the film
Scattering in a distinguished plane
Scattering in a distinguished plane
 Image of the converged laser beam running through a
scattering sample.

Polyethylene film – scattering Rough glass (rubbed few times

is visibly greater in one, with abrasive paper).
distinguished plane.

Both of them are small-angle scatterings.

Scattering in a distinguished plane
Scattering in a distinguished plane
Scattering in a distinguished plane
HDPE; thickness: 0,009 mm

0,4 mm
HDPE; thickness: 0,009 mm

0,1 mm
HDPE; thickness: 0,016 mm

0,4 mm
HDPE; thickness: 0,016 mm

0,1 mm
LDPE; thickness: 0,03 mm

0,4 mm
LDPE; thickness: 0,03 mm

0,1 mm
LDPE; thickness: 0,1 mm

0,4 mm
LDPE; thickness: 0,1 mm

0,1 mm
 Stretching
HDPE films are very stretched, hence their molecular and
surface stucture are diferrent than in normal poliethylene
or in LDPE films (LDPE films are less stretched)

As a result the spherolites structure is changed, and fibrils

structure appears
 Scheme of the experimental set –
from the above
Rotating disc
photomultiplier

Polyethylene film
diaphragm
laser
Experiments – distribution of intensity on the
photomultiplier at different scattering angles
Immobile photomultiplier
A rotating disc with a polyethylene film placed on it
Laser
 Results of the experiment
HDPE film; thickness: 0,009mm
0,25
• plane of bigger
Intensity

scattering
0,2

• plane of smaller
0,15
scattering

0,1

0,05

0
-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25

Angle
 Results of the experiment
HDPE film; thickness: 0,012mm
0,25
Intensity

• plane of bigger
scattering
0,2
• plane of smaller
scattering
0,15

0,1

0,05

0
-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
Angle
 Results of the experiment
LDPE film; thickness: 0,07mm
2,5
Intensity

• plane of bigger
scattering
2

• plane of smaller
1,5
scattering

0,5

0
-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
Angle
 Structural size estimation
x
L
laser
=650 nm 

film
screen

r – characteristic linear size

of a certain structure
of the film
Fraunhoffer condition:
r, x << L;   sin  x/L
 Calculations
 2  4 r
I sin  2
rx  ~ 1  cos
 L  
4 r
  2 I – light intensity

 - characteristic angular

r size of a certain structure
2 of the diffractive image

This lets us estimate the size of the film’s structures basing on

the diffractive images
Sample image

The image’s microstructure

corresponds to the film’s easily
visible macrostructure of
characteristic size ca. 1 mm

The image’s macrostructure

corresponds to the film’s
microstructure of characteristic
size ca. 10 m
 Results for certain films compared
with microscope measurements
0.4 mm
3 m
HDPE 0.012 mm: 4m
0.1 mm 2 m

HDPE 0.009 mm: 1.5m

LDPE 0.1 mm: 10 m 10 m

0.4 mm
 Conclusions
- We analysed different types of poliethylene;

- We made microscopic photos of PE internal structure;

- We analysed various parameters of films, for instance tchickness,

concentration of dyes, type of production;

- We analysed chemical structure of PE films;

- We observed and explained a ‘distinguished scattering plane’

phenomenon;

- We conducted many experiments with various films;

- We estimated size of the films structures

Parameters influencing the size of
scattering:

Type of poliethylene
Percent of crystalization
Internal structure (spherolites/fibrils) which is
connected to streching process
Concentration of dyes
Thickness of the film