| Abstract: | Polymeric films cast from a polymer solution can develop a bulk porosity, if the conditions are favorable for phase inversion (PI), a physical chemical process based on fluid–fluid demixing of which there are two known major variants: wet and dry PI. As the formation of polymeric coatings often involves a polymeric solution or gel precursor, dry or wet PI phenomena may affect the structure formation of the final solvent‐free coating. In this article we identify the situations under which lithographic films can develop a PI structure and focus on solid polymer layers undergoing postcasting wet processing. Examples are provided from the wet processing of a fractionated epoxy novolac resin currently used in lithographic patterning. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 2145–2157, 2000 |
