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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films
Published on: January 26, 2016
Dewetting near the glass transition: transition from a capillary force dominated to a dissipation dominated regime
Pascal Damman1, Nancy Baudelet, Günter Reiter
1Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Polymeres, Université de Mons Hainaut, 20, Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium. pascal.damman@umh.ac.be
Abstract:
Dynamics and corresponding morphology of dewetting of thin polystyrene films at temperatures close to the glass transition were investigated by measuring simultaneously dewetted distance and width of the rim. Comparing the opening of cylindrical holes with the retraction of a straight contact line revealed (i). a drastic influence of the geometry (planar or radial symmetry) on the dynamics at early stages, (ii). a new logarithmic dewetting regime, and (iii). transitions between four dewetting regimes clearly indicated by changes in the shape of the rim. The complete dewetting scenario can be understood as an initial dominance of capillary driving forces, which is progressively overtaken by dissipation related to the increasing size of the rim.
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