Wideline NMR studies of oriented nylon 66 under tensile stress

NMR linewidth studies of nylon 66 as a function of temperature and applied tensile stress have been conducted. The principal motional transition temperature was found to be shifted to higher temperatures with stress application by 9°C./g./den. At any given temperature, increased stress resulted in an increased linewidth. An attempt was made to correlate the shift in the motional transition temperature with the concept that a segment experiencing motion must do work against the applied tensile stress.     

The slow molecular mobility in amorphous trehalose.

The molecular mobility in amorphous trehalose is studied by thermally stimulated depolarisation currents (TSDC). The effect of aging on the sub-T(g) motional processes was analysed during annealing at a given aging temperature, some degrees below the calorimetric glass transition temperature T(g)=115 degrees C. The features of different motional components of the secondary relaxation are monitored as a function of time as the glass structurally relaxes on aging. The faster components of the secondary relaxation are negligibly dependent on aging and may be ascribed to intramolecular modes of motion, while the slower motional modes show a significant dependence on aging consisting of some kind of local motions with some intermolecular nature. The dielectric strength of this relaxation decreases with increasing aging time, and there is no evidence for any modification with aging of the relaxation time of this local mobility. The TSDC study of the molecular mobility of amorphous trehalose in the temperature region of the glass transformation provides the unexpected result that no glass transition signal is observable in this temperature region.     

不同后处理条件下聚萘二甲酸乙二酯纤维的结构变化

对不同纺速下制得的聚萘二甲酸乙二酯 (PEN)初生纤维进行了冷拉伸、定长热处理和热拉伸等后处理 .通过WAXS、DSC等测试研究了纤维中结构变化与后处理条件之间的关系 .结果表明 ,较低纺速下所制得的无定形初生纤维在低于Tg 温度下的冷拉伸时发生了应力诱导结晶 ,纤维中生成了α晶体 .同样的初生纤维在定长热处理过程中直至 2 0 0℃仍保持无定形结构 .这些结果说明施加应力相对于升高温度对于α晶体的生成更为重要 .而热拉伸样品中结晶结构的形成与初生纤维的结构有很大关系 ,低纺速下无定形初生纤维在热拉伸后形成α晶体 ,而高纺速下主要含有 β晶体的初生纤维经热拉伸后 β晶体会部分转变为α晶体 ,且 β晶转变为α晶的难易程度取决于初生纤维中 β晶的完善程度 ,初生纤维中 β晶越完善 ,热拉伸时 β晶体越不易转变为α晶体     

Inter-monomer cross-linking affects the thermal transitions in F-actin

Chemical cross-links which covalently connected the Cys-374 and Glu-41 residues of adjacent monomers in the same strand of F-actin were used to follow the consequences of the modification for the motional and structural properties of the actin filaments. DSC measurements reported that the inter-monomer cross-links shifted the thermal transition temperature and affected strongly the cooperativity of the transition in comparison with uncross-linked F-actin. Addition of HMM to F-actin induced significant decrease of the transition temperature to lower value from 69.4 to 67. 5 °C.     

Structure development and physical properties achieved in the drawing and/or annealing of PEN fibers

As‐spun poly(ethylene‐2,6‐naphthalate) (PEN) fibers (i.e., precursors) prepared from high molecular weight polymer were drawn and/or annealed under various conditions. Structure and property variations taking place during the treatment process were followed via wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS), small‐angle X‐ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mechanical testing. Both the WAXS and DSC measurements of the cold‐drawn samples stretched from a low‐speed‐spun amorphous fiber indicate that strain‐induced crystallization can occur at a temperature below the glass‐transition temperature and that the resultant crystal is in the α‐form modification. In contrast, when the same precursor was subjected to constrained annealing, its amorphous characteristics remained unchanged even though the annealing was performed at 200 °C. These results may imply that the application of stretching stress is more important than elevated temperatures in producing α‐form crystallization. The crystalline structure of the hot‐drawn samples depends significantly on the morphology of the precursor fibers. When the precursor was wound at a very low speed and in a predominantly amorphous state, hot drawing induced the formation of crystals that were apparently pure α‐form modification. For the β‐form crystallized precursors wound at higher speeds, a partial crystalline transition from the β form to the α form was observed during the hot drawing. In contrast with the mechanical properties of the as‐spun fibers, those of the hot‐drawn products are not improved remarkably because the draw ratio is extremely limited for most as‐spun fibers in which an oriented crystalline structure has already formed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1424–1435, 2000     

2H NMR study of dynamics of benzene-d6 interacting with humic and fulvic acids

Samples of three humic acids and one fulvic acid with 1% loading of benzene-d(6) in sealed glass tubes have been studied with solid-state deuterium quadrupole-echo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Calculated spectra combining three motional models, two isotropic models and a third more restricted small-angle wobble (SAW) motional model, are fit to the experimental spectra. One isotropic motion (ISO(v)) is assigned to vaporous benzene-d(6) due to the small line width, short T(1), and the loss of this component by about -25 °C when the temperature is lowered. The remaining two motional components, ISO(s) and SAW, are sorbed by the humic or fulvic acid. Benzene-d(6) slowly interacts with the humic substances, progressively filling SAW sites as ISO(s) motion diminishes. Both the sorption and increase in percentage of SAW motion are for the most part complete within 200 days but continue to a lesser extent over a period of a few years. For the SAW motion there are at least two and most likely a series of T(1) values, indicating more than one adsorption environment. Enthalpies of sorption, obtained from application of the van't Hoff equation to the percentages of the different motional models derived from a series of variable temperature spectra, are comparable in magnitude to the enthalpy of vaporization of benzene. In Leonardite humic acid, ΔH and ΔS for the ISO(s) to SAW transition change from positive to negative values with age, implying a transition in the driving force from an entropic effect associated with expansion and deformation in the molecular structure of the humic substance to accommodate benzene-d(6) to an enthalpic effect of strong benzene-d(6)-humic substance interactions. In contrast, at advanced ages, Suwannee River humic and fulvic acids have small positive or near zero ΔH and positive ΔS for the ISO(s) to SAW transition.     

High resolution 15N NMR of the 225 K phase transition of ammonia borane (NH3BH3): mixed order-disorder and displacive behavior

We report high resolution 15N NMR probing of the solid-solid phase transition of 15N-labeled ammonia borane (NH3BH3) at 225 K. Both the 15N isotropic chemical shift (delta iso) and the spin-lattice relaxation rate (T1-1) exhibited strong anomalies around 225 K. The analysis of T1-1 using the Bloembergen, Purcell, and Pound model showed that the motional correlation time, tau, increased from about 1 to 100 ps and the corresponding Arrhenius activation energy increased from 6 to 14.5 kJ/mol on going through the transition toward lower temperatures. The temperature dependence of delta iso was interpreted by an extension of the Bayer model. The time scale of the underlying motion was found to be in a reasonable agreement with the T1-1 data. These results imply that the NH3 rotor motion plays a pivotal role in the transition mechanism and that the transition is of both order-disorder and displacive type.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance study of 19F motion in CsPbF3

The ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic relaxation times and line-widths have been measured in polycrystalline CsPbF₃ in the temperature range from ?150 to +300°C. The observed motional narrowing of the NMR line-width at low temperatures and the temperature dependences of the relaxation times are analysed in terms of a high vacancy diffusion of the F^? ions. A phase transition is found at ?93°C from measurements of the NMR line shapes.     

Effect of physical aging on the Johari-Goldstein and alpha relaxations of D-sorbitol: a study by thermally stimulated depolarization currents

The relaxations in amorphous D-sorbitol have been studied by thermally stimulated depolarization currents during annealing at 255 K, which is 17 K below its calorimetric glass transition temperature Tg=272 K. As the glass structurally relaxes on aging, the features of the alpha relaxation and of the Johari-Goldstein (JG) relaxation change with time. For the alpha relaxation (i) the dielectric strength decreases; (ii) the activation energy decreases; and (iii) the relaxation time increases. For the JG relaxation the dielectric strength also decreases but with a different time dependence, and there is no evidence for any modification of the kinetic features of the mobility. The amplitude of response to aging is higher for the higher temperature motional components of the Johari-Goldstein relaxation compared with the lower temperature ones.     

Small‐angle X‐ray scattering investigation of carbon nanotube‐reinforced polyacrylonitrile fibers during deformation

Structural changes during deformation in solution‐ and gel‐spun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers with multi‐ and single‐wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and vapor‐grown carbon nanofibers were investigated using synchrotron X‐ray scattering. Previously published wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) results showed that CNTs deform under load, alter the response of the PAN matrix to stress, and thus enhance the performance of the composite. In this article, we find that the elongated scattering entities that give rise to the small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) in solution‐spun fibers are the diffuse matrix‐void interfaces that follow the Porod's law, and in gel‐spun fibers these are similar to fractals. The observed smaller fraction of voids in the gel‐spun fibers accounts for the significant increase in the strength of this fiber. The degree of orientation of the surfaces of the voids is in complete agreement with those of the crystalline domains observed in WAXS, and increases reversibly upon stretching in the same way as those of the crystalline domains indicating that the voids are integral parts of the polymer matrix and are surrounded by the crystalline domains in the fibrils. The solution‐spun composite fibers have a larger fraction of the smaller (<10 nm) voids than the corresponding control PAN fibers. Furthermore, the size distribution of the voids during elongation changes greatly in the solution spun PAN fiber, but not so in its composites. The scattered intensity, and therefore the volume fraction of the voids, decreases considerably above the glass transition temperature (T_g) of polymer. Implications of these observations on the interactions between the nanotubes and the polymer are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2394–2409, 2009     

Structure development of fibers from liquid-crystalline PET/60PHB copolyester

Effect of extrusion conditions, particularly temperature, on the structure development of fibers from poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified with 60 mol% p-hydroxybenzoic acid was investigated. Light microscopy revealed that the structure of the liquid-crystalline fiber was highly dependent on the extrusion temperature: low-temperature-spun fibers exhibited a structure with domains or clusters of crystallites randomly oriented, whereas the fibers spun at high temperatures had a well-developed fibrillar texture. Anisotropy of the fibers, as evidenced by dichroism and by the variation of brightness or darkness of the fibers between crossed polars, was significantly higher for those spun at relatively high temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the fibers spun at relatively low temperatures had poorly oriented, nonuniform morphology. Those produced at relatively high temperatures, on the other hand, consisted of well-developed fibrils. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the molecular orientation increased with increasing extrusion temperature. A model for the development of fiber structure from thermotropic liquid-crystalline polymers is proposed.     

The ageing phenomenon of polyethersulphone hollow fibre membranes for gas separation and their characteristics

We have studied the ageing behaviour of PES/NMP (polyethersulphone/N-methyl pyrrolidone) hollow fibres for gas separation that were prepared from 35% and 37% dope. The effect of ageing on hollow fibres spun from low and high shear rate (103 vs. 862 s⁻¹) has also been investigated, in terms of their transport properties (permeation flux and separation performance), thermal, mechanical and tensile properties. Hollow fibres in this study were aged for around four months in ambient air at room temperature prior to testing.In general, the gas permeation flux drops steeply during the 40 days following fabrication and levels off thereafter. The O₂/N₂ selectivity decreases slightly over time. Hollow fibres spun with high shear rate seem to age faster than those spun with low shear rate. The gas fluxes of both membranes were found to follow a log–log relationship with ageing time. For almost all the gases used in this study, the gas flux decay rate, calculated from the slope of the log–log plot of gas flux vs. ageing, is higher for membranes spun with high shear rate. The effect of shear rate on ageing is less significant for smaller gas molecules that travel faster such as He and H₂. No significant effect of ageing on gas selectivity was observed. Experimental results also indicate that the storage modulus and loss modulus of the hollow fibres increase with ageing. Hollow fibres spun with high shear rates give a slightly higher increase in these moduli than those spun at low shear rates. Surprisingly, tangent δ (energy dissipation) and glass transitional temperature are not sensitive to ageing. We also found that the tensile yield strength and Young's modulus of the hollow fibres increase slightly with ageing. The hollow fibre membranes spun at high shear rates also show a higher increment in tensile yield stress. However, the change in Young's modulus due to ageing was similar for fibres spun with high and low shear rates.     

The sol–gel transition of mullite spinning solution in relation to the formation of ceramic fibers

Continuous mullite ceramic fibers were fabricated by a sol–gel dry spinning technique. The sol was prepared from an aqueous solution of aluminum nitrate (AN), aluminum isopropoxide (AIP) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). The sol–gel transition was investigated by measuring the volume, the solid content, the viscosity and the rheological properties of the solution. Shear viscosity η of the mullite sol varied dynamically with concentrating time and temperature. Combine size analysis of sol particles and TEM analysis on this basis, the growth character of sol particles agglomeration and its structural evolution were discussed. By adjusting the temperature, the gelling degree could stabilize at a certain value and the sol–gel transition could be transferred to the spinning line. Continuous fibers were spun from such sols immediately before gelling in a laboratory dry spinning apparatus. The spinneret contained thirty circular holes, each having a diameter of 0.2 mm. The temperature inside the spinning channel was 100–120 °C, the winding speed was 100–300 m/min. Sintering of the precursor fibers at 1,100 °C yields crack-free mullite ceramic fibers.     

Phase transitions in two organic salts based on 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate

Two phase transition compounds, diethylammonium 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate (1) and cyclohexylammonium 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate (2), were screened from a series of organic salts based on 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate. The phase transition behaviors were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, single-crystal X-ray analysis and dielectric measurements. Compounds 1 and 2 undergo phase transitions at about 202 and 148 K, respectively, accompanied by distinct dielectric changes. The origin of the phase transitions was ascribed to motional changes of the cations in the crystal lattices.     

Calorimetric study of correlated disordering in [Hdamel]2[Cu(II)(tdpd)2] x 2 THF crystal

The heat capacity of [Hdamel]2[Cu(II)(tdpd)2] x 2 THF was measured from 6 to 250 K by adiabatic calorimetry. There are four heat anomalies around 150 K associated with disordering in the orientation of the uncoordinated THF molecules and in the conformation of the out-of-plane allyl groups of [Hdamel](+) units. The total entropy of transition was determined to be 19.8 J K(-1) mol(-1), less than the 4R ln 2 (R = gas constant) expected from the crystal structure at room temperature. The smallness of the total entropy change on phase transitions proves the presence of the strong motional correlation between the adjacent allyl groups. The calorimetric conclusion agreed with the crystal structure at 200 K re-examined in this study.     

35Cl NQR and 1H NMR studies of [C(NH2)3]AuCl4, [C(NH2)3]2PtCl4, and [C(NH2)3]2PdCl4

The temperature dependence measurements of ³⁵Cl NQR frequencies and ¹H NMR spin-lattice relaxation time T₁ were carried out for guanidinium tetrachloro-aurate(III), -platinate(II), and -palladate(II). The gold(III) complex showed four NQR lines at various temperatures between 77 and 344 K, while the platinum-(II) and palladium(II) complexes gave two NQR lines in the temperature ranges 77–169 K and 77–220 K, respectively. An unusual phase transition was located at 363 K for the gold(III) complex. The high-temperature phase was easily supercooled. All the complexes studied yielded a T₁ minimum attributable to the reorientation of the planar cation about its C₃ axis. The motional parameters were evaluated. The Zeeman-quadrupole cross relaxation between protons and chlorine nuclei was observed for the platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes at various temperatures below room temperature, while it was also detected for the high-temperature phase of the gold(III) complex.     

Molecular dynamics and the glass transition in a columnar liquid crystal formed by a chiral discotic mesogen

A new type of chiral discotic liquid crystal is described. It is based on a triphenylene core but carries only one asymmetric side chain per mesogen. This system displays a columnar liquid-crystalline mesophase with a helical superstructure and a pitch of 3·0 nm over a temperature range of 227 K. Upon cooling it forms a glassy state. By broadband dielectric and ²H NMR spectroscopy two motional processes are detected. The axial rotation of the discs around the column axis exhibits non-Arrhenius behaviour and is directly related to the glass transition. The second process is ascribed to localized side chain motions involving the ester linkages.     

Restricted orientational motion of nitroxides in molecular glasses: direct estimation of the motional time scale basing on the comparative study of primary and stimulated electron spin echo decays

A comparative study of anisotropic relaxation in two-pulse primary and three-pulse stimulated electron spin echo decays provides a direct way to distinguish fast (correlation time tau(c)<10(-6) s) and slow (tau(c)>10(-6) s) motions. Anisotropic relaxation is detected as a difference of the decay rates for different resonance field positions in anisotropic electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. For fast motion anisotropic relaxation influences the primary echo decay and does not influence the stimulated echo decay. For slow motion it is seen in both two-pulse echo and three-pulse stimulated echo decays. For nitroxide spin probes dissolved in glassy glycerol only fast motion was found below 200 K. Increase of temperature above 200 K results in the appearance of slow motion. Its amplitude increases rapidly with temperature increase. While in glycerol glass slow motion appears above glass transition temperature T(g), in ethanol glass it is observable below T(g). The scenario of motional dynamics in glasses is proposed which involves the broadening of the correlation time distribution with increasing temperature.     

ESR-spin labelling study of semi-interpenetrating networks and polymer mixtures based on functionalized polyurethanes and polymethacrylates

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks, SIPNs, and polymer mixtures (1:1 mass ratio) based on segmented polyester polyurethane, PU, with carboxylic groups and methacrylic copolymer, PM, with tertiary amine groups were prepared. Electron spin resonance, ESR, spin label method was used to study the effect of functional groups concentration on the segmental motion, motional transitions and phase separation. The concentration of functional groups varied from 0 to 0.45 mmol g⁻¹. From the temperature dependent composite ESR spectra of PU labelled component motional heterogeneity was deduced. Restriction of segmental motion of PU segments in the PU/PM mixtures increases with the augmentation of functional groups content due to the additional noncovalent interactions. The critical concentration (0.35 mmol g⁻¹) above which the motional restriction decreases is observed. The effect of functional groups is discussed in terms of the change of local packing density. According to the fractions of the slow component and temperatures of motional transitions SIPNs reveal better interpenetration and interactions of both polymer components. Additional functional groups contribute to a very strong influence of restricted PM chains on the PU hard segments.     

Fiber formation from liquid-crystalline precursors. II. Cellulose in N,N-dimethylacetamide-lithium chloride

Fibers were spun from isotropic and biphasic solutions of regenerated cellulose (DP = 290) in N, N-dimethylacetamide +7.8% LiCl using water as a coagulant. There is an increase in mechanical properties through the isotropic → anisotropic transition with moduli reaching 22 GPa. The problem with this system is that crystallization encroaches on the biphasic region, and a pure mesophase is never observed. However, owing to the slow nucleation rate of the crystals, a biphasic solution is stable for a long time and can be spun to yield high modulus and orientation. The best approach is to use small flow gradients (extrusion rate and pick-up ratio) and to allow long times for homogenization and nucleation of the mesophase.