Polymer drying, 11: Desorption studies using poly-(Styrene-co-divinylbenzene) samples that had been swelled to saturation in chloromethanes

The kinetics of evaporation from samples of poly(Styrene-co-divinylbenzene) presaturated with CH₃Cl, CH₂Cl₂, CHCl₃, and CCl₄ were monitored to virtual dryness in order to establish how the molecular structure of the probe molecule and the conditions of evaporation affect the time-dependent pattern of transition from the rubbery to a glassy state, and the corresponding distribution of residual probe molecules entrapped in the macrostructure of the glassy state at the completion of this transition. The complexity of the relationships, before and after attaining the rigidity of the glassy state, were found to increase with the number of chlorine atoms in the probe molecule. The physical conditions during evaporation-induced transition affect both relationships in the same manner. This parallelism supports the point of view that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the events that occur during the transition interval and the macrostructure of the resulting glassy state; the latter affects the physical properties of the product and the ensuing time-dependent aging effects. The relevance of these results to physically crosslinked polystyrene-liquid systems is discussed. One may infer that it should be possible to tailor the physical properties of glassy polymers, obtained via casting or extrusion of polymer solutions, by appropriate selection of the solvent and conditions during evaporation-induced transition to the glassy state.     

Sorption and diffusion of water in poly(vinylpyrrolidone)

The effect of molecular mass, thermal prehistory, physical state, and three-dimensional chemical crosslinked structure of a polymer on dissolution and diffusion in the PVP-water system has been studied. The kinetic dependences of sorption that correspond to the Fickian or pseudonormal type have been measured. In a certain concentration range, sorption is accompanied by transition of the system to the rubbery state. In the glassy state, the negative concentration dependence of the diffusion coefficient related to the nonequilibrium state of the polymer sorbent is observed. Sorption isotherms are described by S-shaped curves. It has been shown that the thermal prehistory of the polymer sorbent has the most pronounced effect on its sorption behavior. The effect of molecular mass is insignificant, while three-dimensional chemical crosslinks in PVP manifest themselves only in the region of the rubbery state. In accordance with the double sorption model, the experimental isotherms are represented as the superposition of two isotherms described by the Langmuir and Flory-Huggins equations. For the glassy state of the polymer sorbent, the degree of the nonequilibrium state has been estimated. With due regard for the excess free volume, the detailed thermodynamic analysis of isotherms has been performed; namely, the pair interaction parameters and the free energy of mixing have been calculated. The state of water in the polymer has been examined within the framework of hydrate contributions and clusterization theory.     

Rheological properties of linear and crosslinked polymer blends: Relation between crosslink density and enhancement of elongational viscosity

Strain‐hardening behavior in the elongational viscosity of binary blends composed of a linear polymer and a crosslinked polymer, in which the molecular chains of the linear polymer were incorporated into the network chains of the crosslinked polymer, was studied. Blending the crosslinked polymer characterized as the gel just beyond the sol–gel transition point greatly enhanced the strain‐hardening behavior in the elongational viscosity, even though the amount of the crosslinked polymer was only 0.3 wt %. However, the crosslinked polymer, which was far beyond or below the sol–gel transition point, had little influence on the elongational viscosity as well as the shear viscosity. The stretching of the chain sections between the crosslink points was responsible for the strain‐hardening behavior. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 228–235, 2001     

Curing of a rigid rod epoxy resin with an aliphatic diacid: an example of a lightly crosslinked liquid crystalline thermoset

By reacting a rigid rod epoxy terminated molecule (p-bis(2,3-epoxypropoxy)-α-methylstilbene) with an aliphatic carboxylic acid (decanedioic acid), a lightly crosslinked liquid crystalline network is obtained. This network exhibits a smectic-like phase. While the mesophasic structure resulted “frozen” by the crosslinks in the case of higly crosslinked liquid crystalline epoxy resins, in this case a reversible transition from the liquid crystalline to the isotropic phase is observed. Moreover, while curing the same rigid rod epoxy molecule with amines resulted in a thermoset with a nematic structure, in this case a more ordered mesophase can be obtained. Preliminary results show that it is possible to orient macroscopically the mesogenic chains by stretching thin films above the glass transition temperature (T_g) and then quickly cooling down to the glassy state. This makes this material very attractive in the field of optical applications.     

PVT properties of dodecane/polystyrene systems

The PVT properties of crosslinked polystyrene samples containing various amounts of dodecane were measured. The Tait equation was used to describe the PVT behavior of each system in both the glassy and rubbery regions. The glass transition temperature was determined from the abrupt change of the thermal expansion coefficient. Increase in the dodecane content in the samples resulted in a significant decrease of the difference between the expansion coefficients in the glassy and rubbery regions. Addition of dodecane lowered the glass transition temperature linearly. However, the dependence of the glass transition temperature on pressure was not affected by the presence of dodecane in the polymer samples. Above the glass transition temperature, the volume of the swollen polymer, V_m, could be determined by simple addition of the volumes of the pure components at the appropriate temperature and pressure; the volume change of mixing, δV_m, was independent of temperature and pressure. Below the glass transition temperature, volume additivity of the two components was also applicable after appropriate adjustment of the glass transition temperature of the polymer to that of the dodecane/polymer samples. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Sorption studies that reflect sequential physical changes in polymer-liquid systems from saturation to virtual dryness in a glassy state

The changes in macromolecular architecture that occur sequentially when a polymer is allowed to swell to saturation in a test-liquid and then evaporated from its gel-saturated state through its rubbery transition and finally down to a glassy state at virtual dryness are described in detail. The influence of molecular structure of the sorbed liquid and temperature on the kinetics of evaporation during each part of the above cycle is discussed. The relevance of these results with respect to the models proposed by polymer physicists to describe thermoreversible gelation and polymer relaxation in the glassy state is also discussed.     

Physical aging and relaxation processes in epoxy systems

Relaxation transitions in epoxy oligomers of various chemical nature and three-dimensional polymer networks on their basis are considered. Additional factors affecting relaxation of the networks, namely, the conversion of reactive functional groups of monomers during curing and the crosslink density of the network being formed, are discussed. Special attention is given to the phenomenon of physical aging in glassy crosslinked epoxy systems, which is analyzed from the experimental and theoretical viewpoints.     

Crosslinking PMMA: Molecular dynamics investigation of the shear response

Crosslinking can fundamentally change the mechanical properties of a linear glassy polymer. It has been experimentally observed that when lightly crosslinked, poly(methyl‐methacrylate) (PMMA) has a characteristically more ductile response to mechanical loading than does linear PMMA despite having a higher glass transition temperature. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to investigate conformational and energetic differences between linear PMMA and lightly crosslinked PMMA under shear deformation. As consistent with experiments, crosslinked PMMA is found to have a reduced yield stress relative to linear PMMA. Using the probing capabilities of our explicit atom MD approach, it is observed that while the crosslinks have a minimal direct energy contribution to the total system, they can alter how the main chains conform to macroscopic loading. In crosslinked PMMA, the backbone aligns more with the direction of external loading, thereby reducing the force applied to (and associated deformation of) the polymer bonds. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 444–449     

Mechanical,thermomechanical, and thermal properties of polystyrene crosslinked with a multifunctional zirconium oxo cluster

Inorganic–organic hybrid materials were prepared by free radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of varying amounts of the cluster Zr₆O₄(OH)₄ (methacrylate)₁₂. Stepwise polymerization allowed the preparation of bubble‐ and crack‐free, transparent bulk samples on a 30 g scale with dimensions required for mechanical testing. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering investigations and transmission electron micrographs revealed that the clusters formed randomly distributed aggregates of random size. Solvent uptake in swelling experiments was related to the cluster proportion. Storage moduli in the glassy state were slightly increased when compared with neat polystyrene, but pronounced plateau moduli were observed above the glass transition temperature, which correlated to the cluster proportion. Plateau moduli were used to calculate network parameters such as network density. Onset temperatures of thermal decomposition and the glass transition temperatures of the cluster‐crosslinked polymers were higher than that of neat polystyrene. Thermal expansion coefficients were unaffected in the glassy state, but were gradually reduced above the glass transition temperature with increasing cluster proportion. Both the tensile moduli at room temperature and the yield points increased when polystyrene was doped with the cluster. The strain hardening moduli, as determined in compression tests at large deformations, increased linearly with the cluster proportion. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2215–2231, 2007     

Pretransitional phenomena in acrylate-based liquid crystal networks

The static Kerr effect is used to study the pretransitional phenomena in polymer networks even in the presence of inherent optical anisotropy of crosslinked materials. The pretransitional phenomena in a liquid crystal polymer and its networks are sensitive to the structure of the crosslinks and their distribution within the network. The bulky network junctions distributed more or less homogeneously within the network serve as defects which decrease the hypothetical second order phase transition temperature T* and suppress the nematic fluctuations in the polymer network above the clearing point.     

Pretransitional phenomena in acrylate-based liquid crystal networks

The static Kerr effect is used to study the pretransitional phenomena in polymer networks even in the presence of inherent optical anisotropy of crosslinked materials. The pretransitional phenomena in a liquid crystal polymer and its networks are sensitive to the structure of the crosslinks and their distribution within the network. The bulky network junctions distributed more or less homogeneously within the network serve as defects which decrease the hypothetical second order phase transition temperature T* and suppress the nematic fluctuations in the polymer network above the clearing point.     

Glass transition broadening via nanofiller-contiguous polymer network in aromatic thermosetting copolyester nanocomposites

The glass transition is a genuine imprint of temperature-dependent structural relaxation dynamics of backbone chains in amorphous polymers, which can also reflect features of chemical transformations induced in macromolecular architectures. Optimization of thermophysical properties of polymer nanocomposites beyond the state of the art is contingent on strong interfacial bonding between nanofiller particles and host polymer matrix chains that accordingly modifies glass transition characteristics. Contemporary polymer nanocomposite configurations have demonstrated only marginal glass transition temperature shifts utilizing conventional polymer matrix and functionalized nanofiller combinations. We present nanofiller-contiguous polymer network with aromatic thermosetting copolyester nanocomposites in which carbon nanofillers covalently conjugate with cure advancing crosslinked backbone chains through functional end-groups of constituent precursor oligomers upon an in situ polymerization reaction. Via thoroughly transformed backbone chain configuration, the polymer nanocomposites demonstrate unprecedented glass transition peak broadening by about 100 °C along with significant temperature upshift of around 80 °C. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 1595–1603     

Effect of the morphology of hydrophilic polymeric matrices on the diffusion and release of water soluble drugs

Drug release mechanisms from, and diffusion processes in, hydrophilic crosslinked polymeric systems were investigated in two macromolecular states: in the glassy and rubbery states during the early part of countercurrent water diffusion, and in the rubbery state after thermodynamic equilibrium between the network and the surrounding dissolution medium (water) was attained. Dilute, aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solutions containing theophylline were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The crosslinking ratio, X, varied between 0.01 and 0.20 moles glutaraldehyde per mole of PVA repeating unit. Theophylline release from these rubbery matrices was followed as a function of time. It was determined that, within the range of crosslinking ratios studied, the crosslinked macromolecular structure affected the solute diffusion process. Theophylline release from crosslinked PVA slabs, which were originally dehydrated at 30°C, was also measured. The drug release process was significantly impeded in these systems, especially for samples with crosslinking ratio X ≥ 0.10. This behavior was explained in terms of relaxation of the macromolecular chains and possible existence of ordered chain structures. Glass-to-rubber transitions, a result of the countercurrent diffusion of water into the originally dried (glassy) polymer, shifted the fractional release of theophylline from a f(t^1/2) to a f(tⁿ) time dependence, with n taking values between 0.50 and 0.76. This type of release behavior indicates anomalous diffusion mechanisms. These results may be helpful in the development of swelling controlled drug delivery systems.     

Sharp fronts due to diffusion and stress at the glass transition in polymers

We derive and analyze a model for sharp fronts in glassy polymers. We take the major effect of a diffusing penetrant on the polymer entanglement network to be the inducement of a differential viscoelastic stress. This couples diffusive and mechanical processes through a viscoelastic response where the strain depends upon the amount of penetrant present. Analytically, the major effect is to produce explicit delay terms, via a relaxation parameter, to account for the fundamental difference between a polymer in its rubbery state and the polymer in its glassy state, namely the finite relaxation time in the glassy state owing to slow response to changing conditions. We produce concentration profiles in good agreement with observations on sharp front formation. In addition the model can account for the phenomenon of sorption overshoot.     

Effect of crosslink on the characteristic length of glass transition of network polymers

The characteristic length of the glass transition temperature was evaluated for crosslinked bulk polystyrenes and poly(methyl methacrylate)s by differential scanning calorimetry. The characteristic length, which corresponds to a length scale of the cooperative rearrangement due to polymer segmental relaxation, was revealed to decrease with increase in the degree of crosslink. The relative values of configurational entropy for crosslinked polymers were evaluated based on a simple polymer network model on a cubic lattice. As a result, the configurational entropy of the smallest cooperatively rearranging region was revealed to decrease with increase in the degree of crosslink, which is responsible for the above behavior of the characteristic length. The effects of crosslink on the characteristic length and the glass transition temperature were found to be stronger for crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate)s than for crosslinked polystyrenes, which reflects the difference in the structure of crosslink segment. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1958–1966, 2006     

Synthesis and properties of polyisocyanurate networks based on 2,4-toluene diisocyanate and poly(oxytetramethylene) glycol

With the use of the method of bulk polymerization, network polyisocyanurate polymer materials based on poly(oxytetramethylene) glycol and 2,4-toluene diisocyanate have been synthesized for the first time. To analyze their performance and relaxation mechanism, the mechanical characteristics of polyisocy-anurates are studied. The above polymers show a quasielastic mechanical behavior, even though their elastic modulus is characteristic of the temperature interval where all traditional polymers experience the transition from the glassy state to the rubbery state, and demonstrate a well-pronounced viscoelastic behavior. The proposed procedure for the construction of master curves shows that, in a certain temperature interval, shift factor remains invariable; in other words, it does not depend on temperature.     

A quantitative model for the specific volume of polymer–diluent mixtures in the glassy state

A mathematical model to describe the specific volume of glassy mixtures of a polymer and a low molecular weight diluent or additive is presented. The model is based on understandable physical assumptions and relies on parameters that can be determined experimentally or estimated from methods available in the literature. The predictions of the model show good agreement with the experimental data for mixtures of four polymers with diluents that in the pure state are liquid, glassy, or crystalline. The observed negative departure from volume additivity, as defined by simple additivity of the specific volume of the pure glassy polymer and the pure amorphous diluent, is the result of the relaxation of the excess volume of the glassy mixture relative to the equilibrium state caused by mixing two components with different glass transition temperatures. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1037–1050, 1998     

高聚物从高弹态到流体态的转变

将高聚物由高弹态转变为流体态的转变温度命名为流动温度Tf,该转变温度与高聚物分子量密切相关.在高聚物从高弹态转变为流体态的研究中,由于T1.1的概念忽视对高聚物分子量的依赖性,因此采用Tf的概念更为合理.本文对高聚物的流动温度Tf的讨论涉及高聚物温度-形变曲线、高弹态温区、高聚物熔体剪切粘度.从高聚物凝聚态观点来看,高聚物熔体中凝聚缠结网络中的凝聚结点是分子链的局部向列相互作用使链单元间产生平行凝聚而形成的,而高聚物从高弹态到流体态的转变正是反映了高聚物熔体中凝聚缠结网络的物理交联点,即凝聚结点状态的变化.高聚物熔体可以流动,说明熔体中凝聚网络中的凝聚结点至少是可以在瞬间内打开的,升温使凝聚结点的解凝聚状态存在的时间加长,凝聚状态存在时间减短,当升高到某一温度时,在凝聚结点解凝聚状态的时间内,分子链通过内旋转使质量中心在外加力的方向上可以发生位移,此时高聚物从高弹态转变为流体态,而此时的温度就是流动温度Tf.对高聚物流体弛豫网络的研究,是一个很有前景的研究课题.     

Crosslinked oligoethylene glycols: Correlation between their structure and some rheological properties

Six oligoethylene glycols were crosslinked with triphenylmethane triisocyanate, and polymers with systematically changing network chain lengths were obtained and investigated. The 10-sec. torsion moduli versus temperature, glass transition temperatures, and cohesive energy densities of the polymers were determined and studied. The 10-sec. torsion modulus versus temperature plots show that all six polymers have a glassy transition and rubbery region of rheological behavior. The front factor calculated from the equation for the torsion modulus in the rubbery region when measured values of the modulus were used was compared with the front factor computed from equations that take into consideration molecular structures of the rubbery networks. With the exception of the case of crosslinked diethylene glycol the agreement in all the other cases between the values obtained for the front factor in both ways was good. In the investigated range of temperatures the polymers have below the glass transition temperature another transition point. The solubility parameters of the polymers, calculated from swelling experiments, were with the exception of the first member in the series almost identical.     

Chain dynamics of end-group modified polystyrenes as studied by fluorescence depolarization

Polystyrenes, both linear and crosslinked with various crosslink densities, having modified end-group structures, were synthesized with the objective of studying chain-end mobility in the glassy state. One end of each polymer chain of these polystyrenes was modified with a fluorescent molecule. These polymers containing fluorescent probes in specific environments have been used in studies of segmental motion using fluorescence depolarization. The mobility has been studied below the glass-transition temperature as a function of temperature and crosslink density. The experimental data show that chain-end mobility is not of major importance in connection with the β-transition.