Thermally stimulated current and DSC studies of the broadened glass transition in liquid crystalline polymers

The high sensitivity of the thermally stimulated current, thermal sampling (TS) method is emphasized in a study of the breadth of the glass transition in several liquid-crystalline polymers (LCPs). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed on all samples to further quantify the glass transition regions. For “random” copolyester LCPs with widely varying degrees of crystallinity, including highly amorphous samples, very broad glass tran-sition regions were observed. One semicrystalline alternating copolyester and a series of semicrystalline azomethine LCPs were studied as examples of structurally regular polymers. These exhibited relatively sharp glass transitions more comparable to ordinary isotropic amorphous or semicrystalline polymers. The broad glass transitions in the random copolyesters are attributed to structural heterogeneity of the chains. In one example of a moderate-crystallinity random copolyester LCP (Vectra), glass transitions ranging up to ca. 150°C in breadth were determined by the thermal sampling (TS) method and DSC. In other lower crystallinity copolyester LCPs, the main glass transition temperature as determined by DSC was comparable to that determined by TSC although cooperative relaxations of a minor fraction of the overall relaxing species were detected well below the main T_g, by the TS method and not by DSC. Rapid quenches from the isotropic melt to an isotropic glass were possible with one LCP. The anisotropic and isotropic glassy states for this LCP were found to have the same breadth of the glass transition as was determined by the TS method, although TSC and DSC show that T_g is shifted downward by ca. 15°C in the anisotropic glass as compared to the isotropic glass. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A.C. dielectric and TSC studies of constrained amorphous motions in flexible polymers including poly(oxymethylene) and miscible blends

Poly(OxyMethylene) (POM) and its miscible blends were studied by multifrequency A.C. dielectric and thermally stimulated currents (TSC). The blends contained small amounts of either poly(vinyl phenol), which is a high glass transition (T_g) diluent, or a styrene-co-hydroxy styrene oligomeric low T_g diluent. The variation of the 10°C “β” transition with blend composition proves that it is the glass transition, and that the −70°C “γ” transition is a local motion. Dielectrically the β transition is very weak in pure POM even in fast-quenched samples. The TSC thermal sampling method also detected two cooperative transitions, γ and β, in POM and its blends, and was used to directly resolve the γ transition into low and high activation energy components. If one considers the contribution of exclusion of the diluents from the crystal lamellae, it is shown that the blends behave like typical amorphous blends as a function of concentration. The effect of crystals on amorphous motions is examined in light of comparison with van Krevelen's³⁷ predictions of an “amorphous” T_g, and the transitions in POM are contrasted with those for other semicrystalline polymers. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 2121–2132, 1997     

Cooperative relaxations in semicrystalline fluoropolymers studied by thermally stimulated currents and ac dielectric

Semicrystalline fluoropolymers including poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), a 8 mol % hexafluoropropylene (HFP)/92% TFE random copolymer (FEP), and poly(vinyl fluoride) (PVF) were studied using thermally stimulated current depolarization (TSC), ac dielectric, and other thermal analysis techniques. The TSC thermal sampling (TS) technique is emphasized here for the detection of broad and weak “cooperative” relaxations with all three of the polymers studied exhibiting two cooperative (i.e., relatively high apparent activation energy) transitions. The well-studied low-temperature γ relaxation in PTFE at ca. −100°C is characterized by this method as well as the γ relaxation in the less crystalline FEP sample. Higher temperature cooperative glass transitions, associated with constrained noncrystalline regions, are found at ca. 100°C in PTFE and ca. 80°C in FEP at TSC frequencies. Comparisons with relaxation studies of linear polyethylene are made, and the effects of crystallinity on the various transitions are discussed. The unique characterization by the TSC-TS technique in the detection of multiple “cooperative” relaxations, even in the case of overlapping transitions, is emphasized here. An example is the low-temperature relaxation in FEP. Two cooperative transitions were detected in PVF. The higher temperature one at ca. 45°C is the glass transition, as is well known in the literature. More information is needed to confirm the molecular origin and the effects of crystallinity and chemical structure on the low-temperature cooperative transition in PVF. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Nonmigratory internal plasticization of poly(vinyl chloride) via pendant triazoles bearing alkyl or polyether esters

Branched and linear nonmigratory internal plasticizers attached to PVC by a pendant triazole linkage were synthesized and investigated. Copper-free azide-alkyne thermal cycloaddition was employed to covalently bind triazole-based phthalate mimics to PVC. To systematically investigate the effect of plasticizer structure on glass transition temperature, several architectural motifs were explored. Free volume theory was considered when designing many of these internal plasticizers: hexyl-tethers were utilized to generate additional space between the triazole-phthalate mimic and the polymer backbone. Miscibility of these triazole-plasticizers in PVC is important: variation of the ester moieties on the triazole possessing alkyl and/or poly(ethylene oxide) chains produced a wide range of glass transition temperatures (T_g): from anti-plasticizing 96 °C, to highly efficient plasticized materials exhibiting T_g values as low as −42 °C. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 2397–2411     

Lamellar thickening in nascent poly(acrylonitrile) upon annealing

No systematic study has been reported on the lamellar thickening in atactic poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) upon annealing because PAN, in the form of solution‐cast films or their drawn products, generally shows no small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) maximum corresponding to the lamellar thickness. In this work, PAN crystals were precipitated during the thermal polymerization of acrylonitrile in solution. The nascent PAN film, obtained by the filtration of the crystal suspension, exhibited a clear SAXS maximum revealing the lamellar structure. The lamellar thickening upon annealing of the nascent PAN films was studied in the temperature range 100–180 °C, where the degradation was minimal, as confirmed by the absence of an IR absorption band at 1605 cm⁻¹ ascribed to the cyclized nitrile groups. Above 190 °C, the degradation of the samples was significant, and the SAXS became too broad to determine the scattering maximum. The long period was significantly affected by the annealing time (t_a) and the temperature (T_a). Depending on t_a, three stages were observed for the lamellar thickening behavior. The lamellar thickness stayed constant in stage I (t_a = 0.5–3 min, depending on T_a), rapidly increased in stage II (t_a = 0.5–8 min), and stayed at a constant value characteristic for each T_a at yet longer t_a's in stage III. The lamellar thickness characteristic for T_a increased rapidly with increasing T_a at 165 °C (or higher), which was 152 °C lower than the estimated melting temperature of PAN (T_m = 317 °C). A possible mechanism for such lamellar thickening in PAN far below the T_m is discussed on the basis of the enhanced chain mobility in the crystalline phase above the crystal/crystal reversible transition at 165–170 °C detected by differential scanning calorimetry and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The structural changes associated with annealing are also discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2571–2579, 2000     

TSC study of the dielectric relaxations of human‐bone collagen

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermally stimulated current (TSC) were used to characterize human‐bone collagen. DSC glass‐transition and denaturation temperatures of the collagen in a dehydrated state were 90 and 215 °C, respectively. By TSC, the main relaxation mode, labeled α and located around 90 °C, could be attributed to the dielectric manifestation of the glass transition. The corresponding molecular movements are cooperative with a compensation temperature close to the denaturation temperature. At low temperatures and in a hydrated state, a second mode labeled β₂ was observed at −110 °C. Dehydration shifted this mode to higher temperatures, revealing a weak mode labeled γ at −150 °C. This γ mode was attributed to motions of aliphatic side chains. An analysis of low‐temperature elementary spectra allowed us to assign the β₂ mode to structural water movements and revealed an additional compensation phenomenon in the temperature range (−80 to −50 °C). Because the compensation temperature of this mode was close to the collagen glass‐transition temperature, the corresponding mode β₁ was attributed to polar side‐chain motions, precursors of a collagen glass transition. Finally, around ambient temperature, three sharp peaks were attributed to hydrogen bonds breaking. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 987–992, 2000     

Effect of pressure and temperature on chromophore reorientation in a side-chain nonlinear optical polymer

Second harmonic generation (SHG) was used to measure the temperature dependence of the reorientation activation volume of the side-chain copolymer poly(disperse red 1 methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) (DR1-MMA). The decay of the SHG signal from poled films of DR1-MMA was recorded at hydrostatic pressures up to 3060 atm and at different temperatures between 25°C below the glass transition temperature (T_g) to 35°C above it. The activation volume, ΔV^*, decreased with increasing temperature. The data suggests that the coupling between chromophore reorientation and the long-range motion of the polymer is stronger for the DR1-MMA side-chain system than in previously measured guest–host systems. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 2793–2803, 1998     

Polymers from multifunctional isocyanates 14. Alternating copolymers from isocyanato alkenes: Copolymerization of 2-propenyl isocyanate with trimethylsilyl methacrylate as electron acceptor monomer

The copolymerization of 2-propenyl isocyanate ( 1 ) with trimethylsilyl methacrylate ( 2 ) has been investigated. 1 is an electron donor monomer with little tendency to undergo homopolymerization, while 2 is an electron acceptor monomer, capable of free radical homopolymerization. Polymerization to low conversion in benzene gave copolymers with preferential incorporation of 2 and a tendency towards alternating copolymers with increasing amounts of 1 in the feed (1 : 1.13 with a 9 : 1 feed ratio of monomers 1 : 2 ). The glass transition temperatures of the amorphous polymers are in the range from 100–70°C, with a T_g of poly(trimethylsilyl methacrylate) being 135°C. Desilylation occurs in the presence of water, causing an exothermal reaction above the glass transition temperature probably with formation of amides, a reaction that can be used for crosslinking. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 611–616, 1998     

Cold crystallization and thermal shrinkage of uniaxially drawn poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) by solid-state coextrusion

Solid-state coextrusion has been used to prepare uniaxially drawn films from isotropic poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) of a minimum degree of crystallinity (ca. 5%) both below and above its glass transition temperature T_g. The onset of cold crystallization (T_c) of the drawn films has been studied as a function of the extrusion temperature (ET) and the draw ratio (EDR). It has been shown that T_c decreases markedly on draw, as much as 95°C, and, at constant draw ratio T_c goes through a minimum in the T_g region. For undrawn PEN, annealing below 153°C has no significant effect on T_c. To evaluate the crystallization rate constant (k) and the activation energy (E_a) of the drawn specimens, a nonisothermal DSC procedure has been used. With increasing EDR, k increases markedly and E_a goes down over threefold compared with the undrawn polymer. At high ET, strain-induced crystallization has also been shown to play an important role in lowering E_a for cold crystallization. Thermal shrinkage above T_m indicates a high elastic recovery, underlining the efficiency of deformation, ca. 93%, achieved by solid-state coextrusion.     

Application of zone-drawing and zone-annealing method to poly(p-phenylene sulfide) fibers

A zone-drawing and zone-annealing treatment was applied to poly(p-phenylene sulfide) fibers in order to improve their mechanical properties. The zone-drawing (ZD) was carried out at a drawing temperature of 90°C under an applied tension of 5.5 MPa, and the zone-annealing (ZA) was carried out at an annealing temperature of 220°C under 138.0 MPa. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogram of the ZD fiber had a broad exothermic transition (T_c = 110°C) attributed to cold-crystallization and a melting endotherm peaking at 286°C. The T_c of the ZD fiber was lower than that (T_c = 128°C) of the undrawn fiber. In the temperature dependence of storage modulus (E′) for the ZD fiber, the E′ values decreased with increasing temperature, but increased slightly in the temperature range of 90–100°C, and decreased again. The slight increase in E′ was attributable to the additional increase in the crosslink density of the network, which was caused by strain-induced crystallization during measurement. The resulting ZA fiber had a draw ratio of 6.0, a degree of crystallinity of 38%, a tensile modulus of 8 GPa, and a tensile strength of 0.7 GPa. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1731–1738, 1998     

Novel aromatic polymers from benzaldehyde and triphenylamine derivatives: Synthesis,electrochromic, and photochemical properties

A series of novel triphenylamine‐based polymers were synthesized from benzaldehyde and triphenylamine derivatives. All the polymers having high molecular weight are readily soluble in many organic solvents and could be solution‐cast into amorphous films. They had glass transition temperatures (T_gs) in the range of 193–217 °C, and 10% weight loss temperatures in excess of 475 °C. Cyclic voltammograms of all polymers showed reversible oxidation redox peaks and E_onset around 0.42–0.90 V, indicating that the polymers are electrochemically active and stable. In addition, all these polymers revealed photochemical characteristics in conformity with their electrochromic characteristics. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2118–2131, 2009     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides containing adamantyl and diamantyl moieties in the main chain

This work synthesized a series of new polyamides by direct polycondensation of 1,3-bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]adamantane ( I ) with various diamines. The diacid I was synthesized from 1,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)adamantane in two steps. Polyamides III were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and pyridine. The polyamides had medium inherent viscosities of 0.30–0.55 dL/g and number-average molecular weights (M_n) of 22,000–36,000. The polyamides III _a and III _b had tensile strengths of 59.8 and 77.5 MPa, elongation to breakage values of 5.8 and 7.6%, and initial moduli of 1.9 and 1.8 GPa, respectively. Their glass transition temperatures were found to be 219–295°C by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that the incorporation of rigid and bulky diamantane into polyamides III _a and III _b leads to high glass transition temperatures (T_gs), at 299 and 286°C, respectively. The decomposition temperatures of polyamides III at a 5% weight loss ranged from 388 to 416°C in air and from 408 to 435°C in N₂ atmosphere. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 785–792, 1998     

Epoxidation of bacterial polyesters with unsaturated side chains. II. Rate of epoxidation and polymer properties

Poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate-co-3-hydroxy-10-undecenoate)s (PHOUs) with controlled amounts of unsaturated repeating units were epoxidized to various extents with m-chloroperbenzoic acid (MCPBA) in homogeneous solution. The epoxidation reaction was second order, with an initial rate constant of 1.1 × 10⁻³Lmol^−1.s⁻¹ at 20°C, regardless of the unsaturated unit content in PHOU. No substantial change in either molecular weight or molecular weight distribution occurred as a result of epoxidation, but the melt transition temperature and enthalpy of melting both decreased as the unsaturated groups were increasingly converted into epoxide groups. In contrast, the glass transition temperature (T_g) increased by approximately 0.25°C for each 1 mol % of epoxidation, irrespective of the composition of the PHOU. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2381–2387, 1998     

Charge transport properties of triphenylamine‐pendant polypeptide

The structurally ordered polymer, triphenylamine‐pendant polypeptide (PATPA: poly[γ‐4‐(N,N‐diphenylamino‐phenyl)‐L ‐glutamine]), was prepared in order to obtain high hole mobility and high thermal stability. The hole mobility obtained for PATPA (ca. 10⁻⁵ cm²/Vsec) at room temperature is higher than that for poly(N‐vinylcarbazole) (PVK) (ca. 10⁻⁷ cm²/Vsec) or that of carbazole‐pendant polypeptide (PCLG) (ca. 10⁻⁸ cm²/Vsec). These results are supported by thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements because the TSC can be correlated with the mobility. The glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of PATPA was estimated to be about 130° by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). From these results, PATPA is an alternative candidate as a photoconductive polymer with high thermal stability and high hole mobility. The ordered structure along the main chain is thought to facilitate hole transport. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 362–368, 2000     

Temperature dependence of the activation volume in a nonlinear optical polymer: Evidence for chromophore reorientation induced by sub-Tg relaxations

Second harmonic generation (SHG) was used to measure the temperature dependence of the reorientation activation volume of 4-(diethylamino)-4′-nitrotolane (DEANT) in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The decay of the SHG signal from films of DEANT/PMMA was recorded at hydrostatic pressures up to 3060 atm and at different temperatures between 25°C below the glass transition temperature to 35°C above it. The activation volume, ΔV*_αβ associated with the long range α-type motion of the polymer remained constant at 213 ± 10 ų between T_g − 25°C and T_g + 10°C. At higher temperatures, ΔV*_αβ decreased linearly with increasing temperature. The activation volume, ΔV*_αβ, associated with short range secondary relaxations was constant over the entire temperature range with a value of 77 ± 10 ų. The data suggest that above T_g chromophore reorientation is coupled to both the long range and local motions of the polymer; whereas, well below T_g chromophore reorientation is closely coupled to the local relaxations of the polymer. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 901–911, 1998     

Influence of tacticity on Tβ, Tg,and TLL in poly(methyl methacrylate)s by the method of thermally stimulated current (TSC)

The thermally stimulated-current method (TSC) has been employed to determine the temperatures and intensities of T_β, T_g, and T > T_g for pure isotactic, pure syndiotactic, and five atactic specimens with syndiotactic triad content from 49.5 to 75%; T_g was found to increase linearly with syndiotactic triad content as T_g (°C) = 48.0 + 0.856 (% syn), with R² = 0.970 standard error 5.6°C; T_g for the syndiotactic specimen is 136.6°C measured, 133.6°C calculated. Several atactic specimens exhibit a second glass temperature 15 to 35 K above the regression line ascribed to some pure syndio content, and/or some isotactic–syndiotactic stereocomplexes. All specimens exhibited the liquid–liquid or T_LL transition (relaxation) which increases linearly with 100-% isotactic triad content. Isotactic PMMA shows a T′_LL relaxation 50 K above T_LL. The T_g and T_LL values obtained correlate extremely well with values from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) determined in a separate study, as well as with most literature data. Intensities of T_g and T_LL by TSC are greatest for isotactic, next for syndiotactic, with a broad, low minimum for atactic materials. The intensity of a β relaxation increases slowly from isotactic to syndiotactic. The T_LL found by TSC compares well with literature values for isotactic PMMA obtained by several methods, and T_LL in the atactic region compares well with literature values for atactic material. The ratio T_LL/T_g ranges from 1.09 to 1.20 with no dependence on tacticity. T_g follows simple Arrhenius behavior with enthalpies of activation about one-half of the values normally calculated from dielectric and mechanical loss. The frequency dependences of T_LL and T′_LL follow a Vogel–WLF relationship with temperature. The origin of T_LL is discussed in terms of the Frenkel hypothesis of segment–segment interaction. Evidence for T_LL and T_LL from a variety of methods indicates that these two temperatures are not artifacts of the TSC method.     

The solution and transport of gases in poly(N-butyl methacrylate) in the glass transition region. I. Absorption-desorption measurements

Solubility coefficients, S, and diffusion coefficients, D, have been determined for ethane and n-butane in poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA) by the microbalance technique in the temperature range from ?14 to 50°C, which encompasses the glass transition of the polymer (22–35°C). S and D for ethane were found to be independent of penetrant pressure and concentration at all temperatures studied No transition to “dual-mode” sorption behavior, as reported for a number of penetrants in glassy polymers, was observed with ethane, even at the lowest experimental temperature. Plots of log S and log D versus 1-T, the reciprocal absolute temperature, were linear for the ethane-PnBMA system and did not exhibit discontinuities in the glass transition region. The above results suggest that the same mechanism of solution and transport of ethane in PnBMA is operative both above and below the glass transition of the polymer under the experimental conditions. This behavior is attributed to the low “excess” free volume of glassy PnBMA, as indicated by the small difference between the coefficients of thermal expansion of this polymer in its rubbery and glassy states. Possible conditions for the appearance of dual-mode gas sorption are discussed. A similar study with the n-butane-PnBMA system showed that the polymer was plasticized by the penetrant below 20°C, due to the higher solubility of n-butane compared with that of ethane in PnBMA.     

Dynamic light scattering studies of atactic and syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate)s in dilute theta solution

The present article considers the coil‐to‐globule transition behavior of atactic and syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylates), (PMMA) in their theta solvent, n‐butyl chloride (nBuCl). Changes in Rh in these polymers with temperature in dilute theta solutions were investigated by dynamic light scattering. The hydrodynamic size of atactic PMMA (a‐PMMA‐1) in nBuCl (M_w: 2.55 × 10⁶ g/mol) decreases to 61% of that in the unperturbed state at 13.0°C. Atactic PMMA (a‐PMMA‐2) with higher molecular weight (M_w: 3.3 × 10⁶ g/mol) shows higher contraction in the same theta solvent (α_η = R_h(T)/R_h (θ) = 0.44) at a lower temperature, 7.25°C. Although syndiotactic PMMA (s‐PMMA) has lower molecular weight than that of atactic samples (M_w: 1.2 × 10⁶), a comparable chain collapse was observed (α_η = 0.63) at 9.0°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2253–2260, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of aromatic poly(ether ketone)s containing cyclotriphosphazene units

Bis(4-oxybenzoic acid) tetrakis(phenoxy) cyclotriphosphazene (IUPAC name: 4-[4-(carboxyphenoxy)-2,4,6,6-tetraphenoxy-1,3,5,2λ⁵,4λ⁵,6λ⁵-triazatriphosphinin-2-yl]oxy-benzoic acid) was synthesized and direct polycondensed with diphenylether or 1,4-diphenoxybenzene in Eaton's reagent at the temperature range of 80–120°C for 3 hours to give aromatic poly(ether ketone)s. Polycondensations at 120°C gave polymer of high molecular weight. Incorporation of cyclotriphosphazene groups in the aromatic poly(ether ketone) backbone greatly enhanced the solubility of these polymers in common organic polar solvents. Thermal stabilities by TGA for two polymer samples of polymer series ranged from 390 to 354°C in nitrogen at 10% weight loss and glass transition temperatures (T_g) ranged from 81.4 to 89.6°C by DSC. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1227–1232, 1998     

Creep behavior of amorphous ethylene–styrene interpolymers in the glass transition region

The viscoelastic behavior of amorphous ethylene–styrene interpolymers (ESIs) was studied in the glass transition region. The creep behavior at temperatures from 15°C below the glass transition temperature (T_g) to T_g was determined for three amorphous ESIs. These three copolymers with 62, 69, and 72 wt % styrene had glass transition temperatures of 11, 23, and 33°C, respectively, as determined by DMTA at 1 Hz. Time–temperature superposition master curves were constructed from creep curves for each polymer. The temperature dependence of the shift factors was well described by the WLF equation. Using the T_g determined by DMTA at 1 Hz as a reference temperature, C₁ and C₂ constants for the Williams, Landel, and Ferry (WLF) equation were calculated as approximately 7 and 40 K, respectively. The master curves were used to obtain the retardation time spectrum and the plateau compliance. The entanglement molecular weight obtained from the plateau compliance increased with increasing styrene content as 1,600, 1,870, and 2,040, respectively. The entanglement molecular weight of the ESIs was much closer to that of polyethylene (1,390) than to that of polystyrene (18,700); this was attributed to the unique chain microstructure of these ESIs with no styrene–styrene dyads. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2373–2382, 1999