Entropic effect implication for change in polymer coils swelling state in the demixing enthalpy recovery of aqueous poly(vinyl methyl ether) solutions

Time‐dependent demixing enthalpy recovery behavior of aqueous poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) solutions exhibits distinct recovery characteristics in three concentration regions. The absence of recovery behavior below a water concentration of 38.3 wt % indicates that the PVME coil is in a globular state. The typically sigmoidal recovery behavior of demixing enthalpy above 38.3 wt % is ascribed to the reswelling of the collapsed polymer coils induced by the entropic effect. The increase in difference between the upper and lower limits indicates the continued swelling of the PVME coils. Above 65 wt %, a dominant diluting effect can be observed, and a much longer phase separation time is needed to reach the expected lower limit. In contrast, the recovery of demixing enthalpy in a wide range of water concentration (from 38.3 to 90 wt %) exhibits the same feature. The infrared spectroscopy results are in agreement with the above macroscopic differential scanning calorimetry results. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 142–151     

Crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) containing siloxanes fabricated through thiol‐ene photochemistry

Homogenous amphiphilic crosslinked polymer films comprising of poly(ethylene oxide) and polysiloxane were synthesized utilizing thiol‐ene “ click ” photochemistry. A systematic variation in polymer composition was Carried out to obtain high quality films with varied amount of siloxane and poly(ethylene oxide). These films showed improved gas separation performance with high gas permeabilities with good CO₂/N₂ selectivity. Furthermore, the resulting films were also tested for its biocompatibility, as a carrier media which allow human adult mesenchymal stem cells to retain their capacity for osteoblastic differentiation after transplantation. The obtained crosslinked films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR, Raman‐IR , and small angle X‐ray scattering. The synthesis ease and commercial availability of the starting materials suggests that these new crosslinked polymer networks could find applications in wide range of applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1548–1557     

Miscible blends of poly(ethylene oxide) with brush copolymers of poly(vinyl alcohol)‐graft‐poly(l‐lactide)

Even though poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is immiscible with both poly(l ‐lactide) (PLLA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), this article shows a working route to obtain miscible blends based on these polymers. The miscibility of these polymers has been analyzed using the solubility parameter approach to choose the proper ratios of the constituents of the blend. Then, PVA has been grafted with l ‐lactide (LLA) through ring‐opening polymerization to obtain a poly(vinyl alcohol)‐graft‐poly(l ‐lactide) (PVA‐g‐PLLA) brush copolymer with 82 mol % LLA according to ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. PEO has been blended with the PVA‐g‐PLLA brush copolymer and the miscibility of the system has been analyzed by DSC, FTIR, OM, and SEM. The particular architecture of the blends results in DSC traces lacking clearly distinguishable glass transitions that have been explained considering self‐concentration effects (Lodge and McLeish) and the associated concentration fluctuations. Fortunately, the FTIR analysis is conclusive regarding the miscibility and the specific interactions in these systems. Melting point depression analysis suggests that interactions of intermediate strength and PLOM and SEM reveal homogeneous morphologies for the PEO/PVA‐g‐PLLA blends. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1217–1226     

Temperature memory effect and its stability revealed via differential scanning calorimetry in ethylene‐vinyl acetate within glass transition range

In this article, we reveal the temperature memory effect (TME) in a commercial thermoplastic polymer, namely ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA), within its glass transition range via a series of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) tests. In addition, we investigate the influence of heating holding time and also compare the observed TME in current study with that of shape memory alloys (SMAs). It is concluded that the TME via DSC (without any macroscopic shape change) is achievable within the glass transition range of a polymer. Conversely, although the observed TME shares the many similar features as those in SMAs, due to the nature of micro‐Brownian motion in the glass transition of polymers, the resulted TME is strongly affected by the heating holding time. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1731–1737     

A new class of stereoregular vinylene‐arylene copolymers with double‐decker silsesquioxane in the main chain

A synthesis of a new macromolecular class of vinylene‐arylene copolymers with double‐decker silsesquioxane in the main chain is presented. Two transition‐metal‐catalyzed processes, which is silylative‐coupling copolycondensation (SCC) and ADMET copolymerization of divinyl‐substituted double‐decker silsesquioxanes (DDSQ‐2SiVi) with selected diolefins, are reported to be highly efficient tools for the formation of stereoregular copolymers containing DDSQ‐silylene‐vinylene‐arylene units. The copolymeric products are studied in terms of their structural, thermal, and mechanical properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1044–1055     

Experimental investigation on the dissociation conditions of methane hydrate in the presence of imidazolium-based ionic liquids

In this work, the performance of nine ionic liquids (ILs) as thermodynamic hydrate inhibitors is investigated. The dissociation temperature is determined for methane gas hydrates using a high pressure micro deferential scanning calorimeter between (3.6 and 11.2) MPa. All the aqueous IL solutions are studied at a mass fraction of 0.10. The performance of the two best ILs is further investigated at various concentrations. Electrical conductivity and pH of these aqueous IL solutions (0.10 mass fraction) are also measured. The enthalpy of gas hydrate dissociation is calculated by the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. It is found that the ILs shift the methane hydrate (liquid + vapour) equilibrium curve (HLVE) to lower temperature and higher pressure. Our results indicate 1-(2-hydroxyethyl) 3-methylimidazolium chloride is the best among the ILs studied as a thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor. A statistical analysis reveals there is a moderate correlation between electrical conductivity and the efficiency of the IL as a gas hydrate inhibitor. The average enthalpies of methane hydrate dissociation in the presence of these ILs are found to be in the range of (57.0 to 59.1) kJ ⋅ mol⁻¹. There is no significant difference between the dissociation enthalpy of methane hydrate either in the presence or in absence of ILs.     

Thermally stimulated currents depolarization study of gamma ray irradiated PMMA

We will investigate the effect of γ-irradiation on the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) properties. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique in attenuated total reflexion mode (FTIR-ATR) results allowed us to show that the irradiated PMMA undergoes a scission in its lateral chain combined to an oxidation phenomenon. In fact, a decrease in the carbonyl index, versus the radiation dose, is observed. The differential scanning calorimetry and the thermostimulated depolarization currents revealed that the scission in the lateral chain provides a better flexibility to the PMMA chain and an increase in the free volume of the material. The consequences of these phenomena appear in the decrease of the activation energy of PMMA and the appearance of a local order in the material at a temperature T_c which decreases versus the radiation dose.     

Interrelationship between total volatile organic compounds emissions,structure and properties of natural rubber/polycaprolactone bio-blends cross-linked with peroxides

Natural rubber/polycaprolactone (NR/PCL) bio-based blends with different organic peroxides were prepared using an internal batch mixer and subsequently cross-linked at 170 °C. Two types of commonly used organic peroxides, dicumyl peroxide and di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide, were applied as free-radical initiator. Cross-linking efficiency of NR/PCL blends were investigated using oscillating disc rheometer measurements, followed by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile testing. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) emissions were determined using headspace analysis integrated with gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. Determined TVOCs emissions varying in range 21.6–52.1 μg/g and generally value of this parameter decreased with increasing content of PCL phase in studied blends or with application of more efficient di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide as cross-linking agent. It was found that increasing of TVOCs parameter indicated deterioration of mechanical properties of NR/PCL blends, which corresponded with the changes in chemical structure and thermal properties of cross-linked NR/PCL. This confirms that evaluation of TVOCs parameter is interesting alternative for “conventional methods” to characterization of the studied bio-based blends.