Relaxation behavior,intramolecular interactions,and local motions on monosubstituted esters of poly(itaconic acid)

The mechanical relaxation spectrum of poly(monocyclohexylmethylene itaconate) (PMCMI) exhibits two well-developed absorptions in the glassy state that in increasing temperature order are named γ and β absorptions. Owing to the restricted conformational versatility of the backbone, the polymer presents a weak glass-rubber relaxation whose intensity is significantly lower than that of the γ absorption. Comparison of the mechanical spectrum of this polymer with that of poly(dicyclohexylmethylene itaconate) (PDCMI) allows the conclusion that the β relaxation is produced by motions in which the ? COOCH₂C₆H₁₁ side groups are involved. The location of the mechanical γ peak suggests that this absorption is produced by flipping conformational transitions in the cyclohexyl residue. Three dielectric absorptions are observed in the glassy state of PMCMI which in increasing temperature order are called δ, γ, and β relaxations. Both the location and the activation energy of the dielectric and mechanical β absorptions suggest that both relaxations are caused by the same molecular motions. Dipolar interactions in the liquid and glassy state are calculated and the results compared with those experimentally evaluated. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effects of thermal history,crystallinity, and solvent on the transitions and relaxations in poly(bisphenol-A carbonate)

The following system of nomenclature for the transitions and relaxations in polycarbonate has been proposed: α = T_g = 150, β = 70, γ = ?100, and δ = ?220°C (frequency range of 10–50 Hz). The three component peaks of the γ relaxation are denoted by γ₁, γ₂, and γ₃ relaxations correspond to phenylene, coupled phenylene-carbonate, and carbonate motions, respectively. Dynamic mechanical analysis of poly(bisphenol-A carbonate) using the DuPont 981–990 DMA system shows that the magnitude of the β relaxation depends upon the thermal history of the polycarbonate; annealing greatly reduces the intensity of the β relaxation. A relaxation map constructed for the β relaxation gives an activation energy of 46 kcal/mol. Exposure of polycarbonate to methylene chloride vapor for various times shows that after an induction period of about 5 min the intensity of the γ₃ relaxation at ?78°C decreases whereas the intensity of the γ₁ relaxation of ?30°C is unaffected and the ratio E″(γ₁)/E″(γ₃) increases linearly with the square root of time. This has been ascribed to the interaction of methylene chloride on the carbonate group in polycarbonate. Thermal crystallization of polycarbonate does not affect the positions of the γ relaxation and the glass transition peaks, but merely reduces their intensity. The glass transition peak intensity falls off sharply in comparison to the γ relaxation intensity. Both the γ₃ and γ₁ peaks in polycarbonate have been observed simultaneously for the first time by dynamic mechanical analysis. Impact strength measurements show that methylene chloride treatment of polycarbonate results in a change in mode of failure from ductile to brittle with a resultant 40-fold reduction in impact energy for fracture. Thermally crystallized polycarbonate exhibits brittle fracture with very low force and energy at break.     

Photon correlation spectroscopy of syndiotactic poly (n-butyl methacrylate) near the glass transition

Slow relaxing longitudinal density fluctuations in bulk syndiotactic poly (n-butyl methacrylate) [PBMA] were studied by photon correlation spectroscopy as a function of temperature from 70 to 90°C. The shape of the light-scattering relaxation function broadened as the temperature approached the glass transition (T_g = 55°C). The average relaxation time shifted with temperature, consistent with previous studies of PBMA. The relaxation functions were analyzed in terms of a distribution of relaxation rates. The calculated distribution was clearly bimodal and the shape altered with temperature. The higher frequency peak in the distribution corresponds well with previous mechanical and dielectric relaxation studies of the intramolecular relaxation of the acrylate ester side chain. The resolution of the distribution into two modes is due to a well-defined side-chain motion with relaxation strength comparable to the primary glass-rubber relaxation. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Dielectric absorption in oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride)

The dielectric behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride) is affected by orientation and crystal modification. The loss peak caused by molecular motion of the molecules in crystalline regions appears at about 70°C (110 Hz) (α₁ absorption) for the α form, and at about 110°C (110 Hz) (α₂ absorption) for the β form. Orientation significantly affects the magnitude of the β absorption which appears at about ?40°C. The very high value of the dielectric constant for stretched film is believed to be due to the orientation effect. The γ absorption, which is assumed to be local-mode absorption, is not so much affected by orientation. An additional loss peak has been found at around 0°C in dynamic mechanical measurements, but the molecular mechanism is unknown.     

Mechanical relaxations and moduli of oriented nylon 66 and nylon 6

The mechanical relaxations of dry and wet nylon 66 and nylon 6 with draw ratios λ = 1–3 have been studied from ?180 to 160°C and in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 10 MHz. The five independent elastic moduli C_11, C_12, C_13, C_33, and C₄₄ have also been determined by an ultrasonic method at 10 MHz. Wide-angle x-ray diffraction and birefringence measurements reveal that the crystalline orientation rises sharply at low λ and becomes saturated near λ = 3; the amorphous orientation function increases continuously, reaching values of 0.3–0.5 at λ = 3. The alignment of molecular chains and the presence of taut tie molecules in the amorphous regions lead to a lowering of segmental mobility, thereby reducing the magnitude and increasing the peak temperature and activation energy of the α relaxation. Water absorption weakens the interchain bonding and so gives rise to effects opposite to those of drawing. At low temperature, the development of mechanical anisotropy is largely determined by the overall chain orientation, with the c-shear mechanism contributing a small additional effect. However, above the α relaxation, where the amorphous region is rubbery, the stiffening effect of taut tie molecules becomes dominant and leads to increases in all moduli.     

Effect of moisture on the dynamic mechanical relaxation of polyamide-6/clay nanocomposites

This article investigates the effect of moisture on the dynamic mechanical behavior of polyamide-6 (PA6)/clay nanocomposites with dynamic mechanical analysis from −130 to 110 °C. The storage moduli increase with the clay loading for dried and moisture-absorbed samples because of the enhancing effect from the high-aspect-ratio nanoclay. Storage moduli for moisture-exposed samples are lower than those for dried samples; the longer the moisture absorption period is, the lower the moduli are for neat PA6 and PA6/clay nanocomposites. At temperatures below about 10 °C, however, samples exposed to moisture for longer periods tend to be stiffer than dried samples, probably because of the stiffening effect of ice. The peak temperature of the β relaxation shifts from −53 to −65 °C as the moisture content increases. The glass-transition temperature (T_g) or α relaxation dramatically shifts; its position is significantly lowered from 62 to 17 °C as the moisture content increases (longer moisture absorption period) and from 62 to 50 °C as the clay loading increases. The observed depression of the storage modulus and T_g may be attributed to the plasticization effect of moisture absorption. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1823–1830, 2004     

Dynamic light scattering from bulk poly(n-hexylmethacrylate) near and above the glass transition

Photon correlation spectra of polarized scattered light from poly(n-hexylmethacrylate) PHMA (M_w = 1.6·10⁵, T_g = ?5°C) have been studied in the temperature range of ?2–25°C. The experimental time correlation functions over the time range 10^?6?10² s were represented by the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts (KWW) function exp{?(t/τ)^β} with a virtually temperature-independent distribution parameter β = 0.27 ± 0.02. The observed relaxation functions were also analyzed in terms of a continuous distribution of retardation times L(τ) by means of a direct inverse Laplace transformation. The computed L(τ) distributions reveal a broad single peak structure in agreement with the results of the single KWW fit. The temperature dependence of τ is very similar to that of the shift factors obtained from measurements of the shear modulus and the stress relaxation modulus in the glass-rubber region. Conversely, the values of τ compare well with those extracted from the experimental dielectric loss peaks consistently represented in the time domain by the KWW function. These findings suggest that the slow density fluctuations in bulk PHMA are associated with the primary glass-rubber or α-relaxation, which, however, displays an unusual low apparent Arrhenius activation energy and a rather low β value. PHMA exhibits significant dynamic light scattering with correlation times faster than 10^?6 s near T_g. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Dielectric investigation on mercerized cotton and some of its hydrolysis residues

The dielectric behavior of samples of mercerized and hydromercerized cotton was studied in a temperature range of 10–60°C at frequencies of 0.1–10,000 kc/s. The effects of mercerization of medicated cotton and mild hydrolysis of mercerized cotton on the two loss peaks γ and β, found in medicated cotton in this frequency-temperature range, ¹ were explored. Mercerization lowers the height of both peaks and, in addition, reveals another β relaxation process in a higher frequency range. Hydrolysis of mercerized cotton removes the γ process, causes variations in the levels of the first β maximum, depending on the time of hydrolysis, and enhances the second β process. These absorption peaks and the effects of various variables are discussed in terms of molecular structure and possible molecular motions responsible for their occurrence.     

The effect of external orienting electric field on dielectric relaxation of segmented polyesters in dilute solution

A comparative study of dipole polarization relaxation in the absence and in the presence of an external orienting electric field was performed for linear segmented polyesters with alternating rigid (oxyfumaroylbis-4-oxybenzoates) and flexible (methylene-CH₂-, ethylene oxide-CH₂CH₂-O-, and dimethylsiloxane-Si(CH₃)₂-O-Si(CH₃)₂-) fragments in dilute solutions. Polyesters that do not display mesomorphic properties in the bulk show several regions of dielectric absorption with relaxation character. These regions are associated with the motions via the local mobility mechanisms of different polar fragments of the macromolecule. In solutions of polyesters that possess LC properties in the bulk, large-scale dipole polarization relaxation with long relaxation times and high activation energies was revealed along with local dielectric relaxation transitions. This process is associated with the cooperative motion of mesogenic fragments in their associates. In an external orienting electric field, the intensity of dielectric absorption usually increases for all types of dielectric transition; relaxation times and activation energies experience changes only for large-scale processes.     

Mechanical relaxation mechanism of epoxide resins cured with acid anhydrides. II. Effect of the chemical structure of the anhydrides on the β relaxation mechanism

The mechanism of low-temperature mechanical relaxation of acid-anhydride-cured epoxide resins has been investigated in detail. One mechanical relaxation, denoted as the β relaxation, is observed from ?80 to ?50°C for all epoxide resin systems cured with aromatic, alicyclic, and aliphatic anhydrides. The β relaxation increases in peak height and shifts to higher temperature with increasing molecular volume of the diester segments formed by the reaction of acid anhydrides. From these results, it is concluded that the β relaxation for anhydridecured systems is due to the motion of the diester segment, and that the intensity and peak position of the β relaxation depend on the molecular volume of this segment. Moreover, it was shown that the tensile impact strength of the anhydride-cured systems is governed by the intensity of the β relaxation of these systems when the parameters T_g and v of these systems are nearly constant.     

Dielectric relaxations in poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Molecular motions in poly(vinylidene fluoride) were studied by the dielectric technique. Three distinct absorption peaks (α_c, α_a, and β) were observed in the frequency range from 0.1 cps to 300 kcps and in the temperature range from ?66 to 100°C. The molecular mechanisms for these absorptions and their temperature dependence are discussed, and results are compared with x-ray diffraction and the NMR measurements. It is concluded that the α_c absorption located at 97°C (1 kcps) is related to molecular motion in the crystalline region. The α_a absorption located at ?27°C (1 kcps) can be interpreted as due to the micro-Brownian motion of the amorphous main chains. The β absorption located at ?47°C (1 kcps) is attributed to local oscillation of the frozen main chains.     

Photon correlation spectroscopy of bulk poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) near the glass transition

Slowly relaxing longitudinal density fluctuations in an optically perfect sample of bulk poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) (PHMA) have been studied by photon correlation spectroscopy in the temperature range 10–36°C. The glass transition temperature for this sample was measured to be T_g = −3°C by differential scanning calorimetry. The optical purity of the sample was verified by Rayleigh-Brillouin spectroscopy and the Landau-Placzek ratio was observed to be 2.3 at 25°C. Light-scattering relaxation functions were obtained over the time range 10⁻⁶-1 s. The shape of the relaxation functions broadened as the temperature was lowered towards the glass transition. Quantitative analysis of the results was carried out using the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts (KWW) function to obtain average relaxation times, 〈τ〉, and width parameters, β. The width parameter decreased from 0.43 to 0.21 over the temperature interval, as suggested by visual inspection. Average relaxation times shifted with temperature in a manner consistent with previous mechanical studies of the primary glass-rubber relaxation in PHMA. The relaxation functions were also analyzed in terms of a distribution of relaxation rates, G(Γ). The calculated distributions were unimodal at all temperatures. The average relaxation times obtained from G(Γ) were in agreement with the KWW analysis, and the shape of the distribution broadened as the sample was cooled. The rate at which G(Γ) displayed a maximum correlated well with the corresponding frequency of maximum dielectric loss for PHMA. The temperature dependence of these two quantities could be reproduced with an Arrhenius activation energy of 21 Kcal/mol. A consistent picture of the molecular dynamics of PHMA near the glass transition requires a strong secondary relaxation process with a different temperature dependence from the primary glass-rubber relaxation. The present results suggest that the behavior of PHMA is similar to the other poly(alkyl methacrylates). © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of oxycycloaliphatic groups in the relaxation behavior of acrylic polymers

A comparative study on the mechanical and dielectric relaxation behavior of poly(5‐acryloxymethyl‐5‐methyl‐1,3‐dioxacyclohexane) (PAMMD), poly(5‐acryloxymethyl‐5‐ethyl‐1,3‐dioxacyclohexane) (PAMED), and poly(5‐methacryloxymethyl‐5‐ethyl‐1,3‐dioxacyclohexane) (PMAMED) is reported. The isochrones representing the mechanical and dielectric losses present prominent mechanical and dielectric β relaxations located at nearly the same temperature, approximately −80°C at 1 Hz, followed by ostensible glass–rubber or α relaxations centered in the neighborhood of 27, 30, and 125°C for PAMMD, PAMED, and PMAMED, respectively, at the same frequency. The values of the activation energy of the β dielectric relaxations of these polymers lie in the vicinity of 10 kcal mol⁻¹, ∼ 2 kcal mol⁻¹ lower than those corresponding to the mechanical relaxations. As usual, the temperature dependence of the mean‐relaxation times associated with both the dielectric and mechanical α relaxations is described by the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann–Hesse (VFTH) equation. The dielectric relaxation spectra of PAMED and PAMMD present in the frequency domain, at temperatures slightly higher than T_g, the α and β relaxations at low and high frequencies, respectively. The high conductive contributions to the α relaxation of PMAMED preclude the possibility of isolating the dipolar component of this relaxation in this polymer. Attempts are made to estimate the temperature at which the α and β absorptions merge together to form the αβ relaxation in PAMMD and PAMED. Molecular Dynamics (MD) results, together with a comparative analysis of the spectra of several polymers, lead to the conclusion that flipping motions of the 1,3‐dioxacyclohexane ring may not be exclusively responsible for the β‐prominent relaxations that polymers containing dioxane and cyclohexane pendant groups in their structure present, as it is often assumed. The diffusion coefficient of ionic species, responsible for the high conductivity exhibited by these polymers in the α relaxation, is semiquantitatively calculated using a theory that assumes that this process arises from MWS effects, taking place in the bulk, combined with Nernst–Planckian electrodynamic effects, due to interfacial polarization in the films. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2486–2498, 1999     

Dynamic mechanical and dielectric relaxations of poly(difluorobenzyl methacrylates)

This work reports the mechanical and dielectric relaxation spectra of three difluorinated phenyl isomers of poly(benzyl methacrylate), specifically, poly(2,4‐difluorobenzyl methacrylate), poly(2,5‐difluorobenzyl methacrylate) and poly(2,6‐difluorobenzyl methacrylate). The strength of the dielectric glass–rubber relaxation of the 2,6 difluorinated phenyl isomer is, respectively, nearly three and two times larger than the strengths of the 2,5 and 2,4 isomers. The 2,4 isomer presents a mechanical α peak the intensity of which is nearly two times that of the other two isomers. Both the mechanical and dielectric relaxation spectra display a subglass process, called γ relaxation, centered in the vicinity of −50 °C at 1 Hz and, in some cases, a subglass β absorption is detected at higher temperature partially masked by the glass–rubber relaxation. The mean‐square dipole moments per repeating unit, 〈μ2〉/x, measured at 25 °C in benzene solutions, are 2.5 D², 1.9 D², and 5.0 D² for poly(2,4‐difluorobenzyl methacrylate), poly(2,5‐difluorobenzyl methacrylate) and poly(2,6‐difluorobenzyl methacrylate), respectively. These results, in conjunction with Onsager type equations, permit to conclude that auto and cross‐correlation contributions to the dipolar correlation coefficient may have the same time‐dependence. On the other hand, dipole intermolecular interactions, rather than differences in the flexibility of the chains, seem to be responsible for the relatively high calorimetric glass‐transition temperature of the 2,6 diphenyl isomer, which is, respectively, nearly 36 °C and 32 °C above the T_g's of the 2,4 and 2,5 isomers. Molecular Mechanics calculations give a good account of the differences observed in the polarity of the polymers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2179–2188, 2000     

Influence of the crystalline phase on the molecular mobility of PVDF

Dielectric relaxation and pyrocurrent of PVDF were studied by thermostimulated current spectroscopy. The transition spectrum of the material was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. Two well-resolved relaxation peaks have been observed in the temperature range [?100–100°C]. The molecular mechanisms of these phenomena have been discussed, based on a comparative study of α-PVDF. and β-PVDF. The β relaxation mode is located at ?41°C in α-PVDF and is slightly shifted toward higher temperatures in the stretched material. This mode has been ascribed to the dielectric manifestation of the glass transition (T_g) of PVDF. It is comprised of two components corresponding to the free and constrained amorphous phases, respectively, in the order of increasing temperatures. The α_c transition/relaxation has been associated with molecular motions in the crystalline/amorphous interphase. At higher temperatures, a compensation phenomenon corresponding to cooperative movements liberated at the Curie transition has been observed in β-PVDF. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Dielectric relaxation in ethylene–methacrylic acid copolymers and their salts

Dielectric relaxation data have been obtained for two ethylene–methacrylic acid copolymers (containing about 4 mole-% methacrylic acid units and about 8 mole-% methacrylic acid units, respectively) and the lithium, sodium, and calcium salts prepared by partial neutralization of the polyacids. The frequency range employed was from 50 Hz to 10 kHz and the temperature range was from ?130°C to 100°C. Attention is focused on three dielectric loss regions labeled β, β and α in order of increasing temperature. The β′ process (?10°C at 100 Hz in the salts only) correlates with a mechanical loss process previously reported and is attributed to microbrownian motion taking place in an amorphous hydrocarbon phase. The β′ process (20°C at 100 Hz) has also been observed mechanically and is attributed to the same mechanism as the β process. The higher temperature of this relaxation compared to the β relaxation is attributed to the presence of acid groups which form crosslinks composed of interchain hydrogen bonds. The α process (>50°C at 100 Hz in the salts only) correlates with dielectric and NMR data previously reported for a sodium salt and is assigned to motions within ionic domains formed by the clustering of salt groups.     

Effects of peroxide bonds and their degradation products on the dielectric relaxations of polystyrene

Polystyrene radically polymerized in atmosphere of air is composed of bisegment (C-A) or trisegment (C-A-C) block copolymers consisting of styrene segment (A) and styrene peroxide segment (C). Dielectric measurements of a system of copolymers of styrene and oxygen were obtained above the glass temperature. Three primary relaxations, a, b, and c, in order of descending temperature, were found corresponding to three microphases: styrene phase (phase a), styrene peroxide phase (phase c), and an intermediate phase (phase b) which contains a low concentration of peroxide bonds. An alternating copolymer of styrene and oxygen exhibits the relaxation c alone. With heat treatment above the glass temperature, relaxation c and subsequently relaxation b vanish with thermal degradation of peroxide bonds. The sum of relaxation strengths is linearly related to the content of peroxide bonds which was evaluated by the elementary analysis and DTA. Below the glass temperature, the temperature dependence of dielectric loss of carefully purified polystyrene without peroxide bonds shows very weak peaks which correspond to γ (200°K at 10 kHz) and δ (50°K at 10 kHz) peaks, respectively, in the activation plot. When low molecular degradation products of peroxide bonds are occluded or impurities such as benzaldehyde are added into the specimen, the height of the γ peak is appreciably enhanced, indicating that the reorientation of small polar molecules in polystyrene accompanies the vibration of the phenyl group about the C? C₆H₅ bond which gives rise to the γ relaxation.     

Mechanical and transport properties of highly drawn isotactic polypropylene

Quenched films of isotactic polypropylene were drawn at 110°C up to draw ratio λ = 18. The axial elastic modulus was measured as function of λ up to the highest achieved λ. The sorption and diffusion of CH₂Cl₂ at 25°C in the undrawn and drawn samples were studied. Exclusively transparent samples were used for the measurement of the density and transport properties. This reduces the maximum usable draw ratio to 15. The drawing process is inhomogeneous with neck propagation. In the neck the draw ratio increases by about 6. As a consequence of the increasing fraction of taut tie molecules the axial elastic modulus increases faster than the draw ratio. The transport parameters D, S, and λ indicate that the original lamellar morphology is completely transformed into the microfibrillar structure.     

Relations between dynamic mechanical properties and melting behavior of nylon 66 and poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Nylon 66 films exhibiting form I melting behavior show the γ mechanical relaxation at ?140°C. Samples which have form II melting behavior do not show this relaxation. The γ relaxation disappears when material having form I behavior is converted to material having form II behavior by annealing or by cold drawing. The form I and form II types of melting behavior are also found in poly(ethylene terephthalate); the interconversions and thermal behavior of the forms are analogous to the nylon 66 case. In poly(ethylene terephthalate), the β relaxation at ?40 to ?60°C is present only when form I melting behavior is found. Conversion to form II melting behavior by annealing or drawing (80°C) again causes the relaxation to disappear. No β relaxation was found in amorphous polymer. The γ dispersion in nylon 66 and the β dispersion in poly(ethylene terephthalate) can therefore be associated with the crystalline structure responsible for form I melting behavior. Form I melting behavior has been associated with foldedchain crystals based on previous work. It is therefore postulated that the γ dispersion in nylon 66 and the β dispersion in poly(ethylene terephthalate) are associated with motions in the chain folds. This assignment is not inconsistent with the change in the γ dispersion of nylon 66 with the number of backbone CH₂ units, since these will affect the fold structure.     

Relaxation behavior of aliphatic-aromatic poly(ether amide)s as revealed by dynamic mechanical and dielectric methods

The mechanical and dielectric relaxation of a set of aromatic-aliphatic polyamides containing ether linkages have been examined as a function of temperature (−140 to 190°C) and frequency (3 to 10⁶ Hz). The polymers differ in the orientation (meta and para) of the aromatic rings, in the length of the aliphatic chain, and in the number of ether linkages per repeating unit. Dynamic mechanical experiments showed three main relaxation peaks related to the glass transition temperature of the polymers (α relaxation), the subglass relaxations associated to the absorbed water molecules (β) and to the motion of the aliphatic moieties (γ). Dielectric experiments showed two subglass relaxation processes (β and γ) that correlates with the mechanical β and γ relaxations, and a conduction process (σ) above 50°C that masks the relaxation associated to the glass transition. A molecular interpretation is attempted to explain the position and intensity of the relaxation, studying the influence of the proportion of para- or meta- oriented phenylene rings, the presence of ether linkages and the length of the aliphatic chain. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys, 35: 457–468, 1997