Small angle scattering of partially oriented polymers

Summary A general method for the calculation of the small angle scattering pattern of partially oriented polymers with rotational symmetry about the fiber axis is explained. The method can be used with widely varying models for the basic scattering unit.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird eine allgemeine Methode zur Berechnung des Kleinwinkelstreudiagramms von partiell orientierten Polymeren mit Rotationssymmetrie bezüglich der Faserachse angegeben. Als Modell für die streuende Grundeinheit können die verschiedensten Strukturen verwendet werden.

     

Conformational analysis of oriented non-crystalline polymers using wide angle X-ray scattering

A procedure is presented for obtaining conformational parameters from oriented but non-crystalline polymers. This is achieved by comparison of the experimental wide angle X-ray scattering with that calculated from models but in such a way that foreknowledge of the orientation distribution function is not required. X-ray scattering intensity values for glassy isotactic poly(methylmethacrylate) are analysed by these techniques. The method could be usefully applied to other oriented molecular systems such as liquid crystalline materials.     

Small-angle scattering of partially oriented polymers: model calculations

Three-dimensional small-angle intensity plots are calculated and discussed for a structure consisting of a linear paracrystalline lattice built up by finite lamellar or cylindrical crystallites, tilted with respect to the lattice direction. The lattice directions are distributed with respect to the fiber axis. The effects of different parameters (orientation, tilt angle, crystallite size, etc.) on the diffraction pattern are studied.     

Small angle neutron scattering from steels

Summary By small angle neutron scattering from steels valuable quantitative parameters of the microstructure can be obtained in a non-destructive way. Various features of this method are discussed. Microstructural results are presented which were obtained from neutron scattering experiments with neutron-irradiated pressure vessel steel, with a creep-tested super alloy and transformer sheets.

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Zusammenfassung Wertvolle quantitative Parameter der Mikrostruktur können durch Neutronen-Kleinwinkelstreuung an Stählen gewonnen werden. Die Methode ist dabei zerstörungsfrei. Weitere Charakteristika werden erläutert. Beispielhaft werden Ergebnisse zur Mikrostruktur vorgestellt, die aus Neutronen-Streuexperimenten mit neutronen-bestrahltem Druckwasserstahl, mit Superlegierungen aus Zeitstandversuchen und mit Transformator-Blechen erhalten wurden.

     

Small angle neutron scattering and its application in battery systems

Small angle neutron scattering is a powerful, non-destructive technique that can provide both structural and compositional information. Recently, it has been applied to the field of battery research and has helped elucidate some of the phenomena that are traditionally difficult to probe, including lithiation mechanisms, solid electrolyte interface formation/composition, and electrode microstructure. Specific components of interest can be selectively probed through the application of targeted experiments, contrast variation, and specific composition/structural models gained from complementary data from other analytical techniques.     

Cure temperature influence on natural rubber—A small angle X‐ray scattering study

To analyze the natural rubber behavior during vulcanization under different cure treatments, an experimental investigation using small angle X‐ray scattering was performed. To achieve this, a set of samples were prepared using sulfur and N‐t‐butyl‐2‐benzothiazole sulfenamide as accelerator and then cured at temperatures between 403 and 463 K reaching their optimum mechanical properties considering rheometer tests. The crosslink density of the samples was evaluated by means of the swelling technique in solvent. In the usual Lorentz corrected representation of the X‐ray scattered intensity, a maximum was observed in the plots corresponding to the cured samples, revealing a highly correlated structure. This maximum shifted toward higher values of the scattering vector when the cure temperature of the samples increased. This behavior is discussed in terms of the crosslinks type present in the vulcanized rubber network at different cure temperatures. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2966–2971, 2007     

Properties,Morphology and Structure of BPDA/PPD/TFMB Polyimide Fibers

The mechanical properties of fibers were notably improved by incorporating 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)- benzidine(TFMB) into 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride(s-BPDA) and p-phenylenediamine(PPD) backbone. The best strength and modulus of BPDA/PPD/TFMB polyimide(PI) fiber(diamine molar ratio of PPD/TFMB= 90/10) were 1.60 and 90 GPa, respectively, which was over two times that of BPDA/PPD PI fiber. SEM image showed that the cross-section of fibers at each stage was round and voids free. Besides, the “skin-core” and microfibrillar structure were not observed. The thermal properties of PI fibers were also investigated. The results showed that the fibers owned excellent thermal stability, moreover, the structural homogeneity of fibers were significantly improved by heat-drawn stage. The T_g values were found to be around 300℃ by dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA). Wide angle X-ray diffraction(WAXD) and small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS) experiments indicated that the order degree of longitudinal and lateral stacks, the molecular orientation and the structural homogeneity of fibers were improved in the preparation process of fibers.     

Analysis of orientation fluctuation in fluids by small angle X-ray scattering

The small angle X-ray scattering of molecular fluids contains information on particular aspects of their orientational order. Examples are given for the case of the isotropic, nematic and cholesteric phases of mesogenic molecules. It is shown that the distribution of the molecular centers relative to the direction defined by the molecular long axes can be analysed by means of small angle X-ray scattering. An approximate expression for the circulation correlation function is given.     

Small‐angle neutron scattering analysis of bottlebrush backbone and side chain flexibility

Bottlebrush polymers have densely tethered side chains grafted to a linear polymer backbone, resulting in stretching of both the side chains and backbone. Prior studies have reported that the side chains are only weakly stretched while the backbone is highly elongated. Here, scaling laws for the bottlebrush backbone and side chains are determined through small‐angle neutron scattering analysis of a systematic series of poly(lactic acid) bottlebrush polymers synthesized via a “grafting‐through” ring‐opening polymerization. Scattering profiles are modeled with the empirical Guinier–Porod, rigid cylinder, and flexible cylinder models. Side chains are found to be only weakly stretched, with an end‐to‐end distance proportional to N^0.55, while the overall bottlebrush increases in size proportional to N^0.77. These results demonstrate that the bottlebrush backbone is not fully extended and that both side chains and backbone have significant conformational flexibility in solution. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 104–111     

小角X射线散射法研究CH2Cl2,CHCl3和CCl4对PE液晶结构的影响

采用小角X射线散射法研究了CH_2Cl_2、CHCl_3和CCl_4对磷脂酰乙醇胺(PE)液晶结构影响的机理.CH_3Cl_2、CHCl_3和CCl_4对PE液晶结构影响的差别主要是其空间旋转电子云密度分布形状不同所致.空间旋转电子云密度分布呈椭球状的物质有使PE液晶形成六角形H_1相的趋向;呈圆锥状的物质有诱发PE液晶形成立方六角相的趋向;呈球状的物质有使PE液晶形成片层立方相的趋向.     

Crystallization and chain conformation of semicrystalline and amorphous polymer blends studied by wide‐angle and small‐angle scattering

We examine the crystallization and chain conformation behavior of semicrystalline poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and amorphous poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) mixtures with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), and small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments. For blends with PEO weight fractions (wt_PEO) greater than or equal to 0.3, below the melting point of PEO, the WAXD patterns reveal that crystalline PEO belongs to the monoclinic system. The unit‐cell parameters are independent of wt_PEO. However, the bulk crystallinity determined from WAXD decreases as wt_PEO decreases. The scattered intensities from SAXS experiments show that the systems form an ordered crystalline/amorphous lamellar structure. In a combination of WAXD and SAXS analysis, the related morphological parameters are assigned correctly. With the addition of amorphous PVAc, both the average amorphous layer thickness and long spacing increase, whereas the average crystalline layer thickness decreases. We find that a two‐phase analysis of the correlation function from SAXS, in which the scattering invariant is linearly proportional to the volume fraction of lamellar stacks, describes quantitatively the crystallization behavior of PEO in the presence of PVAc. When wt_PEO is close to 1, the samples are fully spaced‐filled with lamellar stacks. As wt_PEO decreases from 1.0 to 0.3, more PVAc chains are excluded from the interlamellar region into the interfibrillar region. The fraction outside the lamellar stacks, which is completely occupied with PVAc chains, increases from 0 to 58%. Because the radius of gyration of PVAc with a random‐coil configuration determined from SANS is smaller than the average amorphous layer thickness from SAXS, we believe that the amorphous PVAc chains still persist with a random‐coil configuration even when the blends form an ordered structure. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2705–2715, 2001     

聚乙烯片晶辐照破坏机理的电子显微镜研究

用透射电子显微镜观察了高密度辐照聚乙烯的形态结构,并通过统计方法定量地分析了其结构与辐照剂量的关系。发现室温辐照聚乙烯的片晶形态不随辐照剂量而变化。若将室温辐照聚乙烯重新熔融,然后再于125℃下等温结晶4h后,其片晶厚度则随辐照剂量的增加而变薄,长周期亦随之变短。小角X射线散射的测试结果与上述结果符合得很好。室温辐照聚乙烯及其125℃重结晶试样的电子显微镜数据从又一直观角度验证了辐照聚乙烯“片晶内部破坏机理”的正确性。     

Time‐resolved crystallization study of absorbable polymers by synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering

Changes in the lamellar morphology that occurred during the quiescent isothermal crystallization of absorbable poly(p‐dioxanone) (PDS) and PDS/poly(glycolide) block copolymer were studied by synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering. Important morphological parameters such as the lamellar long period, the thicknesses of the crystal and amorphous phases, and the scattering invariant were estimated as a function of time, and trends observed over a wide range of experimental conditions are discussed. Thicker but more perfect lamellae were detected at higher crystallization temperatures. The breadth of the normalized semilog Lorentz‐corrected intensity peak systematically decreased with increasing temperature. In addition, the values of the crystallization half‐time and the Avrami exponent (n = 2.5), determined from the real‐time changes in the lamellar development, showed superb agreement with the bulk crystallinity data generated from other experimental techniques, such as calorimetry and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 153–167, 2001     

Poisson ratios and upper bounds of intrinsic birefringence from brillouin scattering of oriented polymers

To overcome the difficulties in measuring high-frequency shear constants of polymeric materials by ultrasonic or Brillouin scattering technques, we extrapolate results from oriented materials to zero birefringence. Shear constants C₄₄ in the high-frequency limit (GHz) are determined for polyethylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(vinyl chloride), poly(methyl methacrylate), and polycarbonate using Brillouin scattering. Accurate values of Poisson's ratio are derived. The extrapolation to full orientation using an amended Moseley relation gives upper bounds for the “intrinsic birefringence.” Changes in the character of the orientation process are easily detected by monitoring the mode numbers, which are defined by analogy to Poisson's ratio. Extrapolation of these ratios to their upper bound 0.5 gives an independent check of the maximum intrinsic birefringence. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Small angle X-ray scattering investigations of thermodynamic properties of fluid mixtures

Absolute small angle X-ray studies of concentration fluctuations were performed in order to determine thermodynamic properties of a model blend, consisting ofn-hexane and perfluoro-n-hexane. The quantities which we determined were the second derivate of the Gibbs free energy of mixing with respect to the concentration of the components, the location of the spinodal, interaction and solubility parameters, the energy gradient density coefficient as well as the correlation length of the fluctuations at various compositions and temperatures, particularly in the neighbourhood of the spinodal and the critical point. The data obtained were compared with those obtainable from the well known location of the binodal, to test the reliability of the scattering method.     

聚合物对硫化铅钠米微粒的稳定作用

以含铅聚合物微凝胶与Ｈ２Ｓ气体反应制得ＰｂＳ纳米微粒／聚合物复合体系，利用小角Ｘ光散射方法对复合在聚合物中的ＰｂＳ纳米微粒的粒度及分布进行了表征，研究了不同反应条件对其粒度及复合体系稳定性的影响。     

Simultaneous small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray diffraction

The simultaneous SAXS/WAXD technique is shown to provide an unambiguous method for following structural changes taking place during the programmed heating of a range of multiphase polymeric materials. Results are given for polyethylene, block copolyurethanes and block copolyesters containing liquid crystalline hard segments. UK Thermal methods Group Award Lecture     

预氧化过程中张力对聚丙烯腈预氧化纤维微缺陷结构的影响

本文报道用同步辐射二维小角X射线散射(2D\|SAXS)研究预氧化过程中张力对PAN纤维缺陷的影响.     

Small angle x-ray scattering study of ultra-high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) gamma irradiated in bulk

The effect of gamma irradiation on the structure of ultra-high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (UHMWPEO) has been investigated by small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The pressed and irradiated polymer possesses quite strong diffuse scattering. That fact makes the direct determination of the main structural parameters very difficult. To solve the problem a modification of the standard evaluating methods is suggested. Thus, the separation of the porous scattering from that of structural formations of PEO becomes possible. The application of a collimation correction according to Schmidt's method enables to separate diffuse and discrete parts in the scattering. Dependences of the long period, the gyration radii, and the difference between densities of crystalline and amorphous phases on the irradiation dose show that the irradiation increases the density of amorphous areas. A packing of the lamellar aggregates and increase of the porous sizes are observed.