Reactive processing of syndiotactic polystyrene with an epoxy/amine solvent system

Syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) is a new semi-crystalline thermoplastic which is believed to fill the price-performance gap between engineering and commodity plastics. In order to reduce the high processing temperature of sPS (>290°C), an epoxy-amine model system was used as a reactive solvent. Such a processing aid can be used to achieve a 50 to 500 fold lowering of the melt viscosity. When initially homogeneous solutions of sPS in a stoechiometric epoxy-amine mixture are thermally cured, Reaction Induced Phase Separation (RIPS) takes place, leading to phase separated thermoplastic-thermoset polymer blends. We focus our study on low (wt% sPS < 20%) and high concentration blends (wt% sPS > 60%) prepared by two processing techniques (mechanical stirring in a laboratory reactor or internal mixer/ reactive extrusion respectively). These blends have different potential interests. Low concentration blends (sPS domains in an epoxy-amine matrix) are prepared to create new, tunable blend morphologies by choosing the nature of the phase separation process, i.e. either crystallisation followed by polymerization or polymerization followed crystallisation. High concentration blends (sPS matrix containing dispersed epoxy-amine particles after RIPS) are prepared to facilitate the extrusion of sPS. In this case, the epoxy amine model system served as a reactive solvent. The time to the onset of RIPS is in the order of 7-9 min for low concentration blends, while it increases to 20-45 min for high concentration samples, as the reaction rates are substantially slowed down due to lower epoxy and amine concentrations. During the curing reaction the melting temperature of sPS in the reactive solvent mixture evolves back from a depressed value to the level of pure sPS. This indicates a change in the composition of the sPS phase, caused by (complete) phase separation upon reaction. We conclude that our epoxy amine system is suited for reactive processing of sPS, where final properties depend strongly on composition and processing conditions.     

High melting thermoplastic/epoxy resin blends: Influence of the curing reaction on the crystallization and melting behavior

The influence of the cure process and the resulting reaction‐induced phase separation (RIPS) on the crystallization and melting behavior of polyoxymethylene (POM) in epoxy resin diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) blends has been studied at different cure temperatures (180 and 145 °C). The crystallization and melting behavior of POM was studied with DSC and the simultaneous blend morphology changes were studied using OM. At first, the influence of the epoxy monomer on the dynamically crystallized POM was investigated. Secondly, a cure temperature above the melting point of POM (T_cure = 180 °C) was applied for blends with curing agent to study the influence of resulting phase morphology types on the crystallization behavior of POM in the epoxy blends. Large differences between particle/matrix and phase‐inverted structures have been observed. Thirdly, the cure temperature was lowered below the melting temperature of POM, inducing isothermal crystallization prior to RIPS. As a consequence, a distinction was made between dynamically and isothermally crystallized POM. Concerning the dynamically crystallized material, a clear difference could be made between the material crystallized in the homogeneous sample and that crystallized in the phase‐separated structures. The isothermally crystallized POM was to a large extent influenced by the conversion degree of the epoxy resin. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2456–2469, 2007     

Preparation of small poly(butylene terephthalate) spheres by crystallization from solution

The crystallization of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) from moderately dilute solutions of PBT in a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy has been investigated. PBT dissolves in this epoxy approximately 35°C below its usual melting temperature of 227°C to form a one-phase solution. Cooling this solution below 165°C leads to rapid crystallization of the PBT. The resulting mixture of liquid epoxy and crystalline PBT has a low viscosity and contains highly birefringent, individual PBT spherulites. The PBT spherulites have a narrow size distribution and a high surface-to-volume ratio. These particles are suggested to arise from a rapid crystallization that follows liquid–liquid phase separation. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effects of the oriented mesophase on the cold crystallization of syndiotactic polystyrene and its blend with poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide)

The effects of molecular orientation on the crystallization and polymorphic behaviors of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) and sPS/poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) (PPO) blends were studied with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry. The oriented amorphous films of sPS and sPS/PPO blends were crystallized under constraint at crystallization temperatures ranging from 140 to 240°C. The degree of crystallinity was lower in the cold‐crystallized oriented film than in the cold‐crystallized isotropic film. This was in contrast to the case of the cold crystallization of other polymers such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) and isotactic polystyrene, in which the molecular orientation induced crystallization and accelerated crystal growth. It was thought that the oriented mesophase was obtained in drawn films of sPS and that the crystallization of sPS was suppressed in that phase. The WAXD measurements showed that the crystal phase was more ordered in an sPS/PPO blend than in pure sPS under the same annealing conditions. The crystalline order recovered in the cold‐crystallized sPS/PPO blends in comparison with the cold‐crystallized pure sPS because of the decrease in the mesophase content. The crystal forms depended on the crystallization temperature, blend composition, and molecular orientation. Only the α′‐crystalline form was obtained in cold‐crystallized pure sPS, regardless of molecular orientation, whereas α′, α″, and β′ forms coexisted in the cold‐crystallized sPS/PPO blends prepared at higher crystallization temperatures (200–240°C). The β′‐form content was much lower in the oriented sPS/PPO blend than in the isotropic blend sample at the same temperature and composition. It was concluded that the oriented mesophase suppressed the crystallization of the stable β′ form more than that of the metastable α′ and α″ forms during the cold crystallization of sPS/PPO blends. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1665–1675, 2003     

Equilibrium Crystallization Temperature of Syndiotactic Polystyrene <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis> Form

The crystallization behavior of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) γ form undergoing annealing at various temperatures was investigated using the thermodynamic phase diagram based on Strobl's crystallization theory.On the basis of the differential scanning calorimetric results,it was observed that γ form melt-recrystallization occurred at a higher temperature with the increasing lamellar thickness,which resulted from the pre-annealing at the elevating temperature after acetone induced crystallization.Further temperature dependent small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement revealed the evolution of the γ form lamellae upon heating until phase transition,involving three different regimes:lamellae stable region (25-90 ℃),melt-recrystallization region (90-185 ℃) and pre-phase transition region (185-195 ℃).As a result,recrystallization line,equilibrium recrystallization line and melting line were developed for the sPS γform crystallization process.Since the melt of γform involved a γto-α/β form phase transition,the melting line was also denoted as the phase transition line in this special case.Therefore,the equilibrium crystallization temperature and melting (phase transition)temperatures were determined at around 390 and 220 ℃ on the basis of the thermodynamic phase diagram of the sPS γform.     

Nonisothermal crystallization behavior of syndiotactic polystyrene/montmorillonite nanocomposites

X‐ray diffraction methods and differential scanning calorimetry were used to investigate the crystalline structure and crystallization kinetics of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS)/clay nanocomposites. X‐ray diffraction data showed the presence of polymorphism in sPS/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites, which was strongly dependent on the processing conditions (premelting temperature and cooling rate) of the sPS/MMT nanocomposites and on the content of MMT in the sPS/MMT nanocomposites. The α‐crystalline form could be transformed into β‐crystalline forms at higher premelting temperatures. The nonisothermal melt‐crystallization kinetics and melting behavior of the sPS/MMT nanocomposites were also studied at various cooling rates. The correlation of the crystallization kinetics, melting behavior, and crystalline structure of the sPS/MMT nanocomposites was examined. The results indicated that the addition of a small amount of MMT to sPS caused a change in the mechanism of nucleation and the crystal growth of the sPS crystallite. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 560–570, 2003     

Syndiospecific polymerization of styrene with embedded metallocene catalysts

Syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) is a highly crystalline polymer with high melting point (270°C). The syndiospecific polymerization of styrene to sPS with metallocene catalysts is characterized by significant phase changes that lead to global gelation. Since sPS does not dissolve in styrene or solvents such as toluene and n-heptane, sPS precipitates out immediately from the liquid phase with the start of polymerization. The polymer crystallites aggregate to primary particles and they develop to a gel. The gelation is not due to cross-linking polymerization but due to strong molecular interactions between the polymer and monomer molecules. In this work, homogeneous Cp*Ti(OMe)₃ catalyst is heterogenized or embedded into sPS prepolymer particles. The embedded catalyst has been tested in a laboratory scale diluent slurry process to illustrate the feasibility of slurry phase polymerization for the synthesis of sPS particles.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel epoxy monomers and liquid crystal thermosets

Four new epoxy monomers have been synthesized and characterized as part of a program to prepare novel liquid crystal thermoset (LCT) materials. Three of the new epoxy monomers contained a biphenyl mesogen and were not liquid crystalline (LC). The remaining epoxy monomer, which contained a 1,4-dibenzoyloxybenzene mesogen, was synthesized in an overall yield of 30% and displayed a broad (83°C) nematic liquid crystalline phase. The new liquid crystalline epoxy monomer was cured at 120°C and postcured at 175°C with a stoichiometric amount of 1,4-phenylenediamine. The thermal transitions of the resulting LCT were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light optical microscopy (POM), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), and wide angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD) as a function of cure time and temperature. A process characterization diagram was constructed which shows that LCTs based on this new LC monomer can be processed in the liquid crystalline phase over a broad range of times and temperatures. Qualitative agreement with previous epoxy LCT results was found, as LCT's with smectic phases and without clearing temperatures were observed at long cure times (high crosslink densities), whereas nematic phases with clearing temperatures predominated in networks at short cure times (low crosslink densities). © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Two‐phase crystallization kinetics of syndiotactic polystyrene

In this work, a two phase crystallization model based on the extension of the Kolmogoroff approach was proposed and verified by comparison with experimental isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization data of Syndiotactic Polystyrene (sPS) in a very wide range of cooling rates, up to 600 °C/s. To investigate the effects of high cooling rate on the sPS crystalline structure, a homemade apparatus was adopted. The morphology in solid samples was analyzed by densitometry, IR spectroscopy, and X‐rays diffraction. The coupling of these techniques allows the determination of the fractions of different crystalline phases. In agreement with melt‐crystallization studies of sPS proposed by different authors, either α and β forms could be produced depending on the thermal history of the sample. Results show that the stable β form is favored for specimens solidified at higher temperature or under low cooling rates, whereas α and mesomorphic forms are favoured at low temperature or high cooling rates. The proposed multiphase crystallization kinetics model successfully described all the range of experimental data. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1757–1766, 2010     

Thermal properties and crystalline structure of syndiotactic polystyrene‐based miscible blends

This work examined the effect of the pre‐melting temperature (T_max) on the thermal properties and crystalline structure of four miscible syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS)‐based blends containing 80 wt % sPS. The counterparts for sPS included a high‐molecular‐weight atactic polystyrene [aPS(H)], a medium‐molecular‐weight atactic polystyrene [aPS(M)], a low‐molecular‐weight atactic polystyrene [aPS(L)], and a low‐molecular‐weight poly(styrene‐co‐α‐methyl styrene) [P(S‐co‐αMS)]. According to differential scanning calorimetry measurements, upon nonisothermal melt crystallization, the crystallization of sPS shifted to lower temperatures in the blends, and the shift followed this order of counterpart addition: P(S‐co‐αMS) > aPS(L) > aPS(M) > aPS(H). The change in T_max (from 285 to 315 °C) influenced the crystallization of sPS in the blends to different degrees, depending on the counterpart's molecular weight and cooling rate. The change in T_max also affected the complex melting behaviors of pure sPS and an sPS/aPS(H) blend, but it affected those of the other blends to a lesser extent. Microscopy investigations demonstrated that changing T_max slightly affected the blends' crystalline morphology, but it apparently altered that of pure sPS. Furthermore, the X‐ray diffraction results revealed that the α‐form sPS crystal content in the blends generally decreased with an increase in T_max, and it decreased with a decrease in the cooling rate as well. The blends showed a lower α‐form content than pure sPS; a counterpart of a lower molecular weight more effectively reduced the formation of α‐form crystals. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2798–2810, 2006     

Curing behavior and properties of high biosourced epoxy resin blends based on a triepoxy monomer and a tricarboxylic acid hardener from 10-undecenoic acid

Renewable propane-1,2,3-triyl tris(9-(oxiran-2-yl) nonanoate) (EGU, 100 wt% biogenic) and a tricarboxylic acid triglyceride (CGTU) hardener (85.7 wt% biogenic) were synthesized from 10-undecenoic acid (10-UDA) and used to produce epoxy resins with 52–92 wt% biobased carbon. CGTU was prepared by thermally activated thiol-ene coupling of thioglycolic acid onto propane-1,2,3-triyl tris(undec-10-enoate), (GUD) in the absence of solvent. The characterized CGTU was used as a green hardener of blends based on EGU and a conventional bisphenol A-based epoxy pre-polymer (DGEBA) at various mass percentages (0–100 wt%) with an stoichiometric epoxy/acid equivalent ratio. Calorimetric studies revealed higher peak temperature, lower reaction heats, and longer gelation times in resins with high EGU proportion, evidencing the lower reactivity of aliphatic EGU compared with aromatic DGEBA. Cured resins were yellowish transparent rubber-like materials with glass transition temperatures (Tg) varying from −14 °C to −42 °C and tensile strength in the range of 1750 kPa–790 kPa, for 0 and 100 wt % EGU, respectively. The soluble fraction of all resins was less than 4.3%, reflecting a high level of crosslinking. Thermosets with high biobased content showed both UV-light protection and visible light transparency.     

Transitions in trans-1,4-polyisoprene

The melting transitions of both crystalline forms of trans-1,4-polyisoprene, as detected by differential thermal analysis, have been identified by attendant studies with optical microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The lower-melting (LM) form melts initially at a temperature which depends upon the crystallization temperature but which, under our experimental conditions, is between 45 and 53°C. If recrystallization is allowed to occur, the apparent final melting point, which depends upon the recrystallization temperature, is about 58°C. The initial melting point of the higher-melting (HM) form, also crystallization temperature-dependent, is upwards of 57°C. Under the most easily accessible experimental conditions, it may be obscured by the final melting of the LM-form. The apparent final melting point of the HM form is approximately 66°C. Conversion of the LM form into the HM form occurs only by fusion and crystallization. No evidence of a solid-solid transition was found. The rate of conversion is governed principally by the rate of nucleation at the conversion temperature. If fusion of the LM form is incomplete, recrystallization of the LM form takes place instead of conversion to the HM form.     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline epoxy and co-polymerisation with a non-mesomorphic epoxy resin

A novel liquid crystalline epoxy resin based on the imine group was synthesised and structurally characterised by infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The mesogenic behaviour of the monomer was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarised optical microscopy (POM), and presented various textures in the extensive temperature range. Methyl nadic anhydride (MNA) was employed to cure the liquid crystalline epoxy resin and the curing process was investigated using POM and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Information about distribution of liquid crystalline epoxy resin in the blending system resulted from the FT-IR Imaging System, indicating that molecules of liquid crystalline epoxy resin can agglomerate to form anisotropic domains. The improvement in mechanical properties of diglycidyl ether of biphenol A (DGEBA) modified with liquid crystalline epoxy was achieved. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) showed that an extremely rough and highly deformed fracture surface can be obtained. DGEBA modified with liquid crystalline epoxy resin was characterised by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) for its thermal properties. The results indicate that the presence of the liquid crystal phase influences glass transition temperature (Tg).     

Equilibrium melting points of the low-melting and high-melting crystalline forms of trans-1, 4-polyisoprene

Equilibrium melting points in trans-1,4-polyisoprene were calculated from plots of crystallization temperature versus the experimentally measured melting points. The melting points were found to be 78 ± 1.7°C for the low-melting crystalline form and 87 ± 1.3°C for the high-melting form. Within the experimental error, melting points were independent of molecular weight above a number-average weight of 33,000.     

Radiation-induced polymerization of cyclohexene sulfide in the solid state

Radiation-induced solid-state polymerization of cyclohexene sulfide has been investigated. Differential thermal analysis shows that this compound has a phase transition point at ?74°C and behaves as a plastic crystal in the temperature range from ?74 to ?20°C (melting point). By rapid cooling, this plastic crystal was easily supercooled, and below ?166°C a glassy crystal, i.e., a supercooled nonequilibrium state of plastic crystal, was obtained. In-source polymerization proceeded in the plastic crystalline state. Postpolymerization of glassy crystalline monomer irradiated at ?196°C occurred above ?166°C (glass transition point) during subsequent heating.     

Time‐resolved method for the measurement of volume changes during polymerization

A new laser scanning dilatometer, based on a simplified capillary‐type dilatometer using a laser scan micrometer for the detection of changes of the sample dimension, is described. The method can be applied to time‐resolved measurements of volume changes for transparent and nontransparent samples. The time resolution of the setup is below 1 s, the absolute error in determining the volume change is below 0.0004 cm³, and the accuracy of the measured shrinkage is better than 0.2 vol. %. The operation temperature ranges from room temperature to 160 °C. The setup has been applied to the investigation of the volume shrinkage during the curing of epoxy resins [diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)] without and with fillers. Furthermore, the effect of a phase transformation on the volume has been demonstrated by the melting of a crystalline phase (succinic anhydride) dispersed in a DGEBA matrix due to the heat of reaction. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2314–2325, 2005     

Liquid crystalline epoxies bearing biphenyl ether and aromatic ester mesogenic units: Synthesis and thermal properties

Two liquid crystalline epoxies containing biphenyl ether and aromatic ester mesogenic units, oxybis(4,1-phenylene)bis(4-(oxiran-2-ylmethoxy)benzoate)(LCE1) and oxybis(4,1-phenylene) bis(4-(4-(oxiran-2-yl)butoxy)benzoate)(LCE2), were synthesized and characterized. Subsequently, the epoxy monomers were cured with diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS). From DSC, XRD and POM results, monomers did not show liquid crystalline phase while the cured samples exhibited nematic phase. The cured samples showed good mechanical properties with strength of 99.1MPa and excellent thermal stabilities with high glass transition temperature up to 168.0?°C, 5% weight loss temperature at 343?°C and high char yield of 24.5% at 800?°C. The relationship between thermal conductivity and network structure was discussed in this work. Due to the introduction of mesogenic units into epoxy networks, the cured resins showed high thermal conductivity as high as 0.292?W/(m*K), more than 1.5times higher than conventional epoxy resins. By introducing alumina (Al₂O₃) into LCE1/DDS cured system, composites of LCE1/DDS/Al₂O₃ with the highest thermal conductivity of 1.61?W/(m*K) was obtained with the content of 80?wt% while that of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA, E51) epoxy resin/DDS/Al₂O₃ was 1.10?W/(m*K). The as-prepared epoxy resins showed high glass transition temperature and excellent thermal stabilities, indicating the potential of application in microelectronics.     

The double melting behavior of a liquid crystalline polyimide derived from PMDA and 1,3‐bis[4‐(4′‐aminophenoxyl) cumyl] benzene

The double melting behavior of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polyimide was studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS). This liquid crystalline polyimide exhibited a normal melting peak around 278 °C and transformed into a smectic A phase. The smectic A phase changed to nematic phase upon heating to 298 °C, then became isotropic melt around 345 °C. The samples annealed or isothermally crystallized at lower temperature showed double melting endotherms during heating scan. The annealing‐induced melting endotherm was highly dependent on annealing conditions, whereas the normal melting endotherm was almost not influenced by annealing when the annealing temperature was low. Various possibilities for the lower melting endotherm are discussed. The equilibrium melting points of both melting peaks were extrapolated to be 283.2 °C. Combined analytical results showed that the double melting peaks were from the melting of the two types of crystallites generated from two crystallization processes: a slow and a fast one. Fast crystallization may start from the well‐aligned liquid crystal domains, whereas the slow one may be from the fringed or amorphous regions. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 3018–3031, 2000     

Crystallization of trans-1,4-polyisoprene and of hydrochlorinated segmented block copolymer derivatives from solution

Crystallization of trans-1,4-polyisoprene from the mixed solvent pair hexane/2-pentanone was carried out and the effects on the morphology of seeding and the solvent composition were studied. α-TPI lamellae obtained by crystallization from a single solvent, hexane, at 20°C and by mixed-solvent crystallization at 40°C were characterized by DSC, FTIR, and suspension epoxidation/C-13 NMR. Crystalline stem lengths of 14.5 and 18 and a fold length of 10 monomer units were found. Segmented block copolymers were prepared by reaction of TPI lamellae in acetone suspension with HCl at ?7°C. These products were dissolved in 2-pentanone and precipitated at 0°C. A lamellar morphology, the details of which depend on the TPI block length, was observed by SEM; both preparations showed sharp endotherms; and the FTIR was characteristic of a combination of amorphous TPI, amorphous hydrochlorinated TPI, and of either the β crystalline form or both the α and β forms for TPI depending on the sample.     

Effect of silver nanoparticles on the dynamic crystallization behavior of nylon‐6

The effect of introducing silver nanoparticles on the rheological properties and dynamic crystallization behavior of nylon‐6 was investigated. The nanocomposites showed slightly higher viscosity than pure nylon‐6 in the low‐frequency range even at an extremely low loading level of the silver particles (0.5–1.0 wt %). The nanoparticles had a more noticeable effect on the storage modulus than on the loss modulus of a nylon‐6 melt and reduced its loss tangent. They increased the crystallization temperature of nylon‐6 by about 14 °C and produced a sharper crystalline peak. The silver nanoparticles promoted the crystallization of nylon‐6, and their effect on the dynamic crystallization of nylon‐6 at 200 °C was more notable at a lower shear rate and at 190 °C at a higher frequency. Nylon‐6 produced large spherulitic crystals, but the nanocomposites showed a grainy structure. In addition, the silver nanoparticles reduced the fraction of the α‐form crystal but increased that of the γ‐form crystal. The nanocomposites crystallized at 190 °C showed a lower melting temperature than nylon‐6 by about 3 °C, whereas the nanocomposites crystallized at 200 °C showed almost the same melting temperature. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 790–799, 2004