Abstract: | Light scattering measurements were carried out on a linear polyethylene sample NBS 1475 in 1-chloronaphthalene at 135 and 115°C to determine the weight-average molecular weight, the second virial coefficient A2, and the z-average mean-square radius of gyration. By use of these results, the system is analyzed in terms of the interpenetration function Ψ for A2. Observed values of A2 are rather large but the excluded volume is nevertheless relatively small. Such behavior seem to be similar to that of semiflexible polymers. The characteristic ratio Cn,LS as determined by light scattering is found to be almost twice the literature value of 6.7, which was obtained from viscosity measurements. This discrepancy is explained by comparing the theoretical value of the Flory viscosity parameter Φ at the nondraining limit with values calculated from the light scattering results. |