Abstract:

An advanced method based on the digital image correlation technique is implemented for characterization of hygroscopic swelling of thin film polymers. The accuracy of the proposed method is experimentally validated through a comparison with the well-established Moiré interferometry technique. It is applied to various thin film polymers, including polyimide, solder resist, anisotropic conductive film, and thin woven glass/resin composite. The magnitude of hygroscopic swelling coefficients ranges from 0.067 to 0.25 %strain/%wt for those films. A practical guideline for specimen preparation and experimental setup is provided for proper implementation of the proposed method.

Index Terms—Digital image correlation, hygroscopic swelling coefficient, thin film polymer.

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