The effect of molecular weight on the structure and thermal properties of polyethylene

The morphology of polyethylene single crystals prepared isothermally in solution was found to be independent of molecular weight. The enthalpy of fusion, lamellar fold period, and optical appearance were invariant for samples grown from fractions ranging from 20,000 to 2,000,000 in molecular weight. The mass fraction of lamellae which thicken during heating decreased linearly with increasing log molecular weight. The melting temperature of the crystals was also nearly independent of molecular weight.

The superheating of polyethylene crystals was observed to be a function of molecular weight and morphology. At a comparatively high molecular weight the heating rate of the calorimeter exceeded the crystal melting rate, which shifted the observed melting temperature to an anomalously high value. The incorporation of defects within the crystals by irradiation-induced cross-links or chain entanglements increased the melting rate of the high molecular weight samples and thereby minimized the effects of superheating.

The apparent heat of fusion of melt crystallized polyethylene decreased linearly with increasing log molecular weight. In contrast to this behavior the crystallinity of single crystals from dilute solution was independent of molecular weight.

In previous papers we have shown that reorganization of polymer single crystals is suppressed by cross-linking [1—3]. With the appropriate selection of heating rate and irradiation dose, the melting temperatures of solution grown crystals of various morphologies were determined in the absence of lamellar thickening. The observed melting temperatures of polyethylene single crystals with different X-ray fold periods were found to fit the following expression:

T_m = T_m0[1—2σ_e/H_f?] with an equilibrium melting temperature (T_m0) of 145.8 ± 1.0°C and a surface free energy (σ_e) of 89 ± 5 ergs cm^?2 for a polyethylene crystal of infinite dimensions. In addition, at a constant heating rate it was observed that the fraction of crystals which thickened prior to melting decreased with increasing fold period.

Since cross-linking polyethylene increases the molecular weight of the material, it is instructive to investigate the reorganization characteristics of single crystals prepared from polyethylene fractions. Single crystals were prepared in xylene from molecular weight fractions of polyethylene and the effect of molecular weight upon the structure and thermal properties of the crystals was determined.     

The Preparation and Study on Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polypropylene Gel‐spun Fibers

A novel polypropylene (PP) fiber was prepared by using gel spinning/crystallization from dilute solutions of ultrahigh molecular weight isotactic polypropylene (i‐UHMWPP), and subsequently drawing at various temperatures. The influence of drawing temperature on the properties of the resulted fibers was investigated. We found that the draw‐ability and mechanical as well as crystallization properties of the fibers obtained were dramatically improved with increasing drawing temperature. When the drawing temperature is below the α‐crystal relaxation temperature of PP, which was measured by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis as 100–120°C, the fibers are characterized by lower crystallinity and smaller crystals with less perfection, resulting in brittle fracture and subsequently poor mechanical durability. With drawing at temperatures above the α‐crystal relaxation temperature of PP, a novel UHMWPP fiber with Young's modulus of 27 GPa and tensile strength of 1.3 GPa was obtained. Higher crystallinity and larger crystals with better perfection and orientation were observed in this fiber.     

Structural ordering upon annealing of europium molybdate subjected to pressure treatment

It has been found that treatment of europium molybdate single crystals under high uniform pressure leads to radical changes of the IR reflectance spectra of the samples. Instead of a series of narrow lines, which are characteristic of the spectrum of the initial crystal, the spectrum of the sample subjected to pressure treatment exhibits broad bands. As follows from the results of X-ray diffraction measurements, this transformation of the IR spectra is associated with the fact that, after pressure treatment, the sample represents an amorphous matrix with inclusions of nanocrystals of the high-pressure phase. In the IR spectra, the high-pressure phase manifests itself in the form of a new line at approximately 600 cm⁻¹. After annealing of the sample with an increase of the temperature from 100 to 400°C, the high-pressure phase disappears. A further increase of the annealing temperature to 550°C leads to the recovery of the crystal structure of the initial β′ phase of europium molybdate and to the appearance of lines corresponding to the α phase.     

Emission spectra for ArNe binary crystals

Emission spectra for ArNe binary crystals have been measured in the range of 6–18 eV at the Ar concentration of 0.01 – 100 mol%. Luminescence was excited by slow electrons at T = 5°K. The spectrum of excitons bound on the atomic and molecular type centres is observed. The energies of radiative transition in a crystal appear to be very close to those in a gas phase because of the relaxation processes at which the resonance exchange interaction decreases considerably. The bands of atomic centres display a fine structure which reflects the effect of the lattice crystal field of Ne. For the ArNe crystals it has been shown that excitons are not thermalized completely and there is the independent relaxation of the lowest states of various Wanier series to local excitons. A scheme for the relaxation process in argon involving the formation of a molecular centre Ar₂¹ is given.     

Measurements of the complex shear modulus of polymers under hydrostatic pressure usina the quartz resonator method

Abstract

The quartz resonator method measures the complex shear modulus or compliance of viscoelastic materials in the frequency range from 50 kHz to 140 MHz at temperatures between ?150°C and 300°C and pressures up to 1 GPa. This method can be applied to viscous fluids or polymer melts -even in their glassy or seminystalline regime.

The phase diagram of poly(diethylsiloxane) PDES (a mesophase polymer) was determined for two samples with different molecular weight at pressures up to 400 MPa and temperatures between 20°C and 100°C. Phase transitions are indicated by a sharp bend in the shear compliance although the volume effect of the mesophase-isotropic transition vanishes around 80 MPa.

The pressure dependence of the glass relaxation process (in PVAc), was studied by measuring the change of the complex shear modulus with pressure at constant temperatures between 95°C and 145°C and pressures up to 600 MPa. Additionally to the relaxation process, also the pressure dependence of the real part of the shear modulus in the glassy region can be determined for testing the dislocation concept in the meandermodell by W. Pechhold.     

ZnO晶体的偏振拉曼散射的深入研究

利用拉曼选择定则,设计了ZnO单晶的直角偏振几何配置。在室温下测量了ZnO单晶的各种振动模式的偏振拉曼散射光谱。与原先的文献相比较,初步讨论了各种振动模式的线宽和强度的变化原因。除ZnO晶体中包括非极性和极性拉曼基频振动,准横光学和准纵光学模式和振动属性被指认外,它们的高阶拉曼散射模式首先被确定。本研究结果为深入了解ZnO晶体和薄膜的宏观性质和微观结构提供了依据。     

Extended planar boundary inclinations in fcc single crystals and polycrystals subjected to plane strain deformation

When fcc single crystals with high-symmetry crystal orientations are deformed to moderate strains by rolling, tension or channel die compression, long dislocation boundaries inclined to the extension axis form. Similarly, long dislocation boundaries are often found in grains embedded in polycrystals deformed in the same manner. These extended planar boundaries (EPBs) are characteristically -30-40° from the extension direction and contain the transverse specimen axis. The objective of the present article is to demonstrate that EPBs formed during plane strain deformation are parallel to equivalent slip planes, a pair of hypothetical slip systems used for analyses of the strain and crystal rotation components in place of the larger number of physical slip systems. The coincidence of EPBs and equivalent slip plane inclinations is shown to account for persistent observations of EPBs in the angle range -30-40° from the rolling direction, in rolled single crystals of various initial orientations. The tendency of EPBs towards tilt or twist boundary character can also be rationalized on the basis of the equivalent slip system concept and consideration of the dislocation types available to be incorporated into EPBs.     

Gamma relaxation in nitric acid-treated polyethylene single crystals

There has recently been considerable interest in the gamma relaxation of polyethylene (PE). Determined by dynamic mechanical measurements at 1 cps, this relaxation would be located near 150°K. The gamma loss peak has been observed both in bulk PE [1-5] and in mats of solution-grown crystals [5-8] by a variety of techniques. The origin of this relaxation has variably been attributed to the amorphous component [1-6,9,10], the crystalline component [8,11], or both [12,13]. According to the last view, the gamma relaxation consists of two superposed peaks (γ_a and γ_c) attributable, respectively, to the two components.     

Luminescent properties of LiCl-Cu single crystals

The absorption, photoluminescence, x-ray luminescence, and thermoluminescence spectra, and the photoluminescence excitation spectra of LiCl-Cu single crystals with different activator concentration were investigated at temperatures of 79–450°K. The absorption spectrum at room temperature has two bands with maxima at 237 and 259 nm. The absorption coefficient of the 237 nm band is proportional to the copper concentration in the crystal (C_Cu ≤ 7·10^?4 mole %). The photoluminescence and x-ray luminescence spectrum at room temperature consists of one emission band at 324 nm, which conforms with the Mollwo-Ivey rule in the homologous series RbCl → KCl → NaCl → LiCl. The copper ions create trapping levels for electrons and holes at different depths in the forbidden band of the LiCl crystal. The correlation between the thermoluminescence peaks and the recombination-luminescence excitation bands (infrared stimulation) is investigated.     

EPR and optical absorption spectra of VO2+ ions in calcium oxalate monohydrate single crystals

Abstract

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Optical absorption spectra of vanadyl ions in calcium oxalate monohydrate single crystals have been studied. EPR spectrum at room temperature exhibits an isotropic octet spectrum. The detailed EPR analysis indicates that vanadyl ions exhibit liquid like behaviour. EPR spectrum has been studied at different temperatures. It is found that at 255 K, the EPR spectrum completely disappears. The optical absorption spectrum exhibits three absorption bands characteristic of vanadyl ions in tetragonal symmetry. From the optical data, the crystal field and tetragonal parameters have been evaluated.     

Strain softening and strain localization in copper based Cu-Al single crystals

The paper reports the results of the study of highly effective relaxation mechanisms of plastic deformation in Cu-Al single crystals and their effect on mechanical properties and tendency toward strain localization. The experiments concern a wide range of aluminium content (0–16 at. % Al) in copper based single crystals, tested in tension. These were oriented in the centre of stereographic triangle. Slip markings, changes of crystal shape, strain hardening rate and strain rate sensitivity provided independent information permitting to identify the mechanism of relaxation and to determine its kinetic features. It was found that selfinduced entry of critical slip system causes sudden decrease of hardening rate, changes the strain rate sensitivity and leads to strain localization. The effect occurs regardless the crystal composition but its extent is dependent on Al content. The model of the relaxation mechanism has been proposed.Presented at the 4^th International Symposium on Plasticity of Metals and Alloys, September 7–11, 1987, Srní, Czechoslovakia.     

Structural,optical, spectroscopic and thermal investigations on novel semi-organic nonlinear optical material - Potassium boro-oxalate single crystal

In this work, a new semi-organic nonlinear optical material of Potassium boro-oxalate (KBO) is synthesized and subsequently a single crystal of size 7 × 5 × 3 mm³ is grown from the aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique at ambient temperature. Characterizations are performed on the single crystals to study the structural, thermal, linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the as-grown single crystals. Crystal and molecular structure of KBO are solved by direct method and further refinement is performed by full-matrix least-square method employing SHELXL-2014 software. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) studies revealed that the grown crystal associates to triclinic crystal family with non-centrosymmetric space group P1. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum reflected the presence of various functional groups in the title compound. The Ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-VIS-NIR) absorption and transmission spectrum are recorded to capture the suitability of the grown single crystals for various optical and NLO applications. The thermal decomposition and thermal stability of the KBO single crystals up to 187°C are investigated by TGA-DTG (Thermo Gravimetric - Differential Thermo Gravimetric), TGA-DTA (Thermo Gravimetric-Differential Thermal analysis) and DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) curves. Kurtz-Perry powder technique is employed to explore the SHG (Second Harmonic Generation) efficiency of the KBO single crystals. SHG efficiency of KBO is found to be comparable to KDP.     

Shear localization in dynamic deformation of copper single crystals

Dynamic deformation of copper single crystals, especially of fatigued copper single crystals with different orientations, was conducted on a split-Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus. The strain rates were in the range 2???9?×?10³?s^?1. After dynamic deformation, the adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) were examined in a light microscope and SEM. The width and spacing of ASBs formed under different strain rates in a fatigued copper single crystal were measured and the spacing of ASBs is one-order of magnitude smaller than the theoretical predictions. The possible reasons for the discrepancy were discussed. The critical strains for the ASB formation in four different orientated single crystals at stain rate of about 4?×?10³?s^?1 were determined by examining the post-deformation specimens and dynamic stress–strain curves. It is clearly indicated that the critical strains for the ASB formation are orientation-dependent in copper single crystals. A simple microscopic mechanism for ASB formation in fatigued single crystals was proposed.     

Relaxation phenomena of poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate,poly-γ-methyl-L-glutamate,and copoly(γ-methyl-L-glutamate, γ-benzyl-L-glutamate)

Relaxation phenomena of poly-α-amino acids in the solid state have been investigated using poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG), poly-γ-methyl-L-glutamate (PMLG), and copoly (γ-methyl-L-glutamate, γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PMBG) by means of dielectric, dynamic mechanical, NMR, dilatometric, and X-ray diffraction measurements at temperatures between ?196 and 180°C.

Each of the samples exhibits two relaxation regions, one at room temperature (β-relaxation) and the other in the range from ?150 to ?100°C (γ-relaxation). The γ-relaxation is attributed to motion of the side chains with small amplitude. The β-relaxation is due to large-scale motion of the side chain. It has been found that the β-relaxation is well described by the WLF-equation.

The intensity of the X-ray diffraction peak at 2θ = 7° for PBLG increases with increasing temperature, which is similar to results obtained in small-angle X-ray scattering for polymer crystals consisting of two phases, amorphous and crystalline. A break point is observed at 18°C where the specific volumetemperature curve also shows a break point.

It is concluded that the side chains of these polymers are almost amorphous, and that they undergo a glass-like transition while the backbones keep an α-helical conformation.     

Relaxation dynamics of poly(vinylidene fluoride) studied by dynamical mechanical measurements and dielectric spectroscopy

The aim of this study is to analyze the mobility of polymer chains in semicrystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). PVDF crystallizes from the melt in the α crystalline phase. The transformation from the α phase to the electroactive β phase can be induced by stretching at temperatures in the range between 80 and 140 °C. The spherulitic structure of the crystalline phase is deformed during stretching to form fibrils oriented in the direction of the strain. The amorphous phase confined among the crystalline lamellae is distorted as well and some degree of orientation of the polymer chains is expected. Dynamic-mechanical and dielectric spectroscopy measurements were performed in PVDF films stretched to strain ratios up to 5 at temperatures between 80 and 140 °C. Dynamic-mechanical measurements were conducted between -60 °C and melting and in this temperature range the relaxation spectra show the main relaxation of the amorphous phase (called β-relaxation) and at higher temperatures a relaxation related to crystallites motions (α (c)-relaxation). Although the mean relaxation times of the β-relaxation are nearly equal in PVDF before and after crystal phase transformation, a significant change of shape of the relaxation spectrum proves the effect of chain distortion due to crystal reorganization. In stretched PVDF the elastic modulus of the polymer in the direction of deformation is significantly higher than in the transversal one, as expected by chain and crystals fibril orientation. The recovery of the deformation when the sample is heated is related with the appearance of the α (c)-relaxation. Dielectric spectroscopy spectrum shows the main relaxation of the amorphous phase and a secondary process (γ-relaxation) at lower temperatures. Stretching produces significant changes in the relaxation processes, mainly in the strength and shape of the main relaxation β. The Havriliak-Negami function has been applied to analyze the dielectric response.     

Normal vibrational modes in benzil crystals

A group-theoretical analysis of the vibrational spectrum of benzil crystals was carried out. The selection rules and normal coordinates were found. Raman scattering spectra of benzil single crystals were studied in polarized light within a broad temperature range from 100 K to the melting point (T _m=96°C). The experimental data were found to correlate with theory. The temperature dependences of the spectral-line half-widths were used to separate the observed vibrations into translational and librational modes, and the correspondence between the experimentally observed vibrations and their normal coordinates was established in some cases.     

Mechanical behavior of poly(ethyleoe terephthalate) at cryogenic temperatures

The mechanical behavior of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was studied at temperatures from 4 to 300°K with a free oscillating torsion pendulum and an Instron tester.

Torsion pendulum data show the presence of relaxation maxima below 80°K. Noncrystalline specimens show a small peak at 48°K (δ) and a shoulder at 8-12° K (?). A peak at 20° K is observed in crystalline samples, both oriented and unoriented. In addition drawn specimens show a pronounced peak at 48° K and the assymmetric maximum in the 100-240° K region is split into two peaks. The logarithmic decrement in the β-loss region decreases with increasing crystallinity and orientation, while the cryogenic loss peaks increase in intensity.

Tensile tests with biaxially oriented and heat-set films show a twofold increase in elastic modulus and a tenfold increase in toughness at cryogenic temperatures when compared with “amorphous” PET.     

Nuclear quadrupole spin-lattice relaxation in Bi4Ge3O12 single crystals doped with atoms of d or f elements. Crystal field effects in compounds exhibiting anomalous magnetic properties

The nuclear quadrupole spin-lattice relaxation was studied in the range 4.2–300 K for single crystals of Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂ doped with minor amounts (the tenth fractions of mol%) of paramagnetic atoms of Cr, Nd, and Gd. Unusual spin dynamic features were recently found for these crystals at room temperature: a dramatic (up to 8-fold) increase in the effective nuclear quadrupole spin-spin relaxation time T ₂* occurred upon doping the pure Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂ sample. Unlike T ₂*, the effective spin-lattice relaxation time T ₁* at room temperature differs insignificantly for both doped and pure samples. But at lower temperatures, the samples exhibit considerably different behavior of the spin-lattice relaxation with temperature, which is caused by different contributions to the relaxation process of the dopant paramagnetic atoms. The distinctive maximum in the temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time for the Nd-doped crystal is shown to result from the crystal electric field effects.     

Nonlinear response and avalanche behavior in metallic glasses

The response to different stress amplitudes at temperatures below the glass transition temperature is analyzed by mechanical oscillatory excitation of Pd₄₀Ni₄₀P₂₀ metallic glass samples in single cantilever bending geometry. While low amplitude oscillatory excitations are commonly used in mechanical spectroscopy to probe the relaxation spectrum, in this work the response to comparably high amplitudes is investigated. The strain response of the material is well below the critical yield stress even for highest stress amplitudes, implying the expectation of a linear relation between stress and strain according to Hooke’s Law. However, a deviation from the linear behavior is evident, which is analyzed in terms of temperature dependence and influence of the applied stress amplitude by two different approaches of evaluation. The nonlinear approach is based on a nonlinear expansion of the stress-strain-relation, assuming an intrinsic nonlinear character of the shear or elastic modulus. The degree of nonlinearity is extracted by a period-by-period Fourier-analysis and connected to nonlinear coefficients, describing the intensity of nonlinearity at the fundamental and higher harmonic frequencies. The characteristic timescale to adapt to a significant change in stress amplitude in terms of a recovery timescale to a steady state value is connected to the structural relaxation time of the material, suggesting a connection between the observed nonlinearity and primary relaxation processes. The second approach of evaluation is termed the incremental analysis and relates the observed response behavior to avalanches, which occur due to the activation and correlation of local microstructural rearrangements. These rearrangements are connected with shear transformation zones and correspond to localized plastic events, which are superimposed on the linear response behavior of the material.     

Photoinduced second harmonic generation studies on Tris(thiourea)copper(I) perchlorate Cu(SC(NH2)2)3(ClO4)

We have established a possibility to obtain the photoinduced optical second harmonic generation in the initially centrosymmetric single crystals of tris(thiourea)copper(I) perchlorate crystallized in the monoclinic system with the space group P2₁/c. The second‐order susceptibility of the investigated crystal was measured by inducing the crystal by external laser field. The results obtained are interesting and discussed in detail. We have established that the optical second harmonic generation achieves its maximum (about 0.84 pm/V) at photoinducing power density about 1430 kW/cm² for the fundamental wavelength 1064 nm. The maximal output second harmonic generation (SHG) was achieved at an angle of about 35° between the pumping and fundamental power beam's polarizations. Such maximum may be a consequence of a competition between the so formed anharmonic photothermal expansions and the thermal destruction that occurred because of the heating of the crystal surfaces. Our independent verifications have shown that the photoinduced surfaces were heated up to 8–12° C. This may cause occurrence of photothermal relaxation processes. The output SHG exists only immediately after the act of photoinduction. The obtained dependences are caused by specific features of the Raman spectra of the investigated crystals. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.