Application of the essential work of fracture concept to nanostructured polymer materials

The first part of the paper deals with a critical discussion of the methodical basis of essential work of fracture (EWF) concept with respect to the specimen geometry (especially the notch depth) and application to polymers. In the second part, an in situ testing device, which combines a tensile testing machine with an optical strain-field measuring system, has successfully demonstrated possibility of characterization of fracture behaviour of polystyrene-polybutadiene block copolymers and block copolymer/homopolymer blends as examples of nanostructured polymer materials. It has been shown that knowledge of the time evolution of the strain field close to the crack tips leads to a simple verification of the basic precondition for the applicability of the EWF concept, the precondition “plastic zone coalescence-before-stable crack propagation”.     

Micellization and gelation of aqueous solutions of star-shaped PEG-PCL block copolymers consisting of branched 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) and polycaprolactone blocks

Star-shaped block copolymers consisting of non-toxic poly(ethylene glycol) and biodegradable polycaprolactone ((PEG5K-PCL)₄) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of the ε-caprolactone monomer with hydroxyl-terminated 4-armed PEG as initiator. These biodegradable, amphiphilic star block copolymers showed micellization and sol-gel transition behaviors in aqueous solution with varying concentration and temperature. In the dilute aqueous solutions of star block copolymers, micellization behavior occurred over specific concentration. The 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) solubilization method was used to determine the critical micellization concentration (CMC) of star block copolymers. The obtained micelle size increased with increasing hydrophobic PCL block length. In high-concentration solutions, the star block copolymers showed temperature-sensitive sol-gel transition behavior. The morphology of the micelle and gel was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). As a result, the micelles showed a core-corona spherical structure at concentration near CMC, while the gel showed a mountain-chain-like morphology picture. It was proposed that with increasing the micelle concentration the worm-like micelle clusters formed firstly and the gel was constructed by the packing of micelle clusters.     

光固化环氧丙烯酸酯/SiO2杂化材料的研究

用FTIR、SEM、DSC和TGA表征了光固化环氧丙烯酸酯／SiO2杂化材料[(EA-TMSPM)／SiO2]，研究了盐酸、γ-甲基丙烯酰氧丙基三甲氧基硅烷(TMSPM)和无机物浓度对(EA-TMSPM)／SiO2结构与性能的影响。结果表明，无机物浓度高的(EA-TMSPM)／SiO2杂化体系中SiO2粒子尺寸略大于无机物浓度低的体系；盐酸和无机物浓度的增加，都可以增强杂化材料的耐磨性。     

KINETIC ANALYSIS OF CO-CONDENSATION POLYMERIZATION OF AB2 AND AB MONOMERS

This work deals with the kinetics of co-condensation polymerization of AB2 and AB monomers, giving expressions of the two-dimensional molecular weight distribution function and the number/weight average molecular weights of the resulting copolymers. The two-dimensional molecular weight distribution depends on two indices, n and l, which are the respective numbers of AB2 and AB units in a copolymer species. The evolution of the two-dimensional weight and z distributions during the co-condensation polymerization has been evaluated systematically. Finally, the two-dimensional distribution was transformed into a one-dimensional molecular weight distribution with only one variable (the molecular weight of the products instead of the degree of polymerization). The calculated results show that the highly branched copolymer has a very broad molecular weight distribution when the co-condensation polymerization approaches completion.     

Graft copolymer of polymethyl methacrylate-g-polycarbonate urethane and the fully gelled grafted networks

We have synthesized and characterized the graft copolymer of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-graft-polycarbonate urethane (PCU) (designated PMMA-g-PCU) and the fully gelled mutually crosslinked network composed of both PMMA and PCU (designated as PMMA-PCU-N). Unlike the previously synthesized one phase PCU/PMMA simultaneous interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN's), both of these new materials exhibited two distinct T_g's (from DSC and DMA studies) at all compositions which we have studied. The two-phase nature of the graft and network polymer was confirmed by TEM with domain sizes smaller than those found in the blends of the linear PCU and PMMA chains. In comparison with the corresponding IPN's, the PMMA-g-PCU and the PMMA-PCU-N were thermally less stable and had a lower ultimate strength. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of ran-copoly (p-phenylene sulfide sulfone/ketone)s

Random copoly(p-phenylene sulfide sulfone/ketone)s (PPSS/K) are prepared in high yield by the polycondensation of sodium hydrosulfide (NaSH) with bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone (BCPS) and 4,4′-dichlorobenzophenone (DCBP). The polymerization is conducted between 200–220°C, depending on the composition of the copolymer, and in the presence of water without any detrimental effects to the molecular weight. The copolymers with sulfone/ketone mole ratios (S : K) > 25 : 75 are amorphous, while the copolymers with S : K ratios ≤ 25 : 75 are crystalline. These materials form tough, creaseable films and exhibit a linear increase in the glass transition temperature with increasing sulfone content. Sulfuric acid solutions of the copolymers are dark orange to red and display an increasing λ_max in the uv-visible spectra as the S:K ratio of the copolymers decreases. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Liquid chromatography of benzene derivatives on a porous methacrylate copolymer containing epoxy groups

Summary The retention of benzene derivatives with nonpolar and polar substituents on a porous methacrylate copolymer containing epoxy groups using both nonpolar and polar eluents was investigated. When n-hexane is used as the eluent, the retention of n-alkylbenzenes and polymethylbenzenes is weaker than that of benzene. In the case of benzene derivatives containing polar functional groups their capacity ratios (k) on this porous polymer increases approximately linearly with the increase of the adsorbate molecules dipole moment. The retention characteristics of the methacrylate copolymer were compared with that of a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer and silica gels with a hydroxylated surface and with a surface modified by chemically bonded alkylsilyl groups.     

Synthesis and Ionic Conductivity of Network Polymer Electrolytes with Internal Plasticizers

Network polymer electrolytes with free oligo(oxyethylene) chains as internal plasticizers were prepared by cross-linking poly(ethylene glycol) acrylates. The effects of salt concentration and properties of internal plasticizers on ionic conductivity were studied.     

Syntheses and Studies of PEG-b-PNIPA Block Polymers

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疏水缔合型增稠剂聚(丙烯酰胺-丙烯酸高级酯)的合成及增稠性能研究

采用沉淀聚合法合成了聚（丙烯酰胺－丙烯酸十四酯），聚（丙烯酰胺－丙烯酸十六酯）和聚（丙烯酰胺－丙烯酸十八酯），重点讨论了共聚物中疏水基团数量及疏水基团链长对增稠性能的影响。采用凯达尔定氮法和动态热分析（DMTA）测定了共聚物的组成及玻璃化温度。