Phase relationships and thermodynamic interactions in linear polyethylene–diluent systems

Phase equilibria between linear polyethylene and a number of organic diluents of varying type have been investigated. The diluents include aliphatic alcohols, alkyl phenols, aryl phenols, diphenyl derivatives, alkyl aryl ethers, esters, and ketones. It is found that n-octyl alcohol, n-decyl alcohol, n-lauryl alcohol, p-tert-amyl alcohol, p-octyl phenol, p-nonyl, phenol, diphenyl, diphenylmethane, diphenyl ether, benzyl phenyl ether, and anisole are Θ-solvents for linear polyethylene at temperatures between 120 and 200°C. Thermodynamic interactions are discussed in relation to the type of diluent.     

Phase relationships and thermodynamic interactions of isotactic poly(1-butene) and organic solvent systems

Isotactic crystalline low-molecular-weight poly(1-butene), iPBu-1, was synthesised by using a metallocene catalyst. The molecular weight was determined by GPC. The chemical structure of iPBu-1 was verified by using high-temperature (13)C NMR spectroscopy and the thermal properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The (solid+liquid) equilibria, SLE, of iPBu-1 with different hydrocarbons (n-hexadecane, 1-heptene, 1-heptyne, cyclopentane, cyclohexane, cycloheptane, cyclooctane, benzene and propylbenzene) were studied by a dynamic method. By performing these experiments over a large concentration range, the temperature-mole fraction phase diagrams of the polymer-solvent systems could be constructed. From these diagrams it was found that iPBu-1 had the highest solubility in small-ring cycloalkanes and the lowest in n-hexadecane, 1-heptyne and benzene in the mole fraction range measured. The excess Gibbs energy models were used to describe the nonideal behaviour of the liquid phase and to estimate the solubility of iPBu-1 in the whole mole fraction range. Activity coefficients at infinite dilution of polymer and solvent were determined from the solubility measurements and were predicted by using the UNIFAC FV model and molecular Monte Carlo simulations.     

Bisphenol-A polycarbonate–diluent interactions

The effect of low-molecular-weight miscible additives on the sub-T_g (β) relaxation process in bisphenol-A polycarbonate (BPAPC) was studied using high-resolution carbon-13 solid-state NMR. The trend of the spin-lattice relaxation times T₁ at 50 MHz suggests that strong intermolecular interactions occur upon mixing when BPAPC is physically stiffened by the antiplasticizing diluent, diphenylphthalate. The values of ¹³C T₁ at 15 MHz in d-chloroform solutions for similar BPAPC-diluent mixtures suggest that diluent effects on the megahertz mobility of the polymer occur exclusively in the solid state. These results are explained using equilibrium thermodynamics, in the Ehrenfest sense, at the second-order glass transition temperature T_g. Theory predicts that the temperature dependence of the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter ?χ/?T changes abruptly as the polymer-diluent blends are cooled below T_g from the molten state. The difference between ?χ/?T in the liquid and glassy states is the major factor which determines the diluent concentration dependence of T_g. A method is developed to estimate the relative magnitudes of χ for polymerdiluent blends in the glassy state.     

Phase equilibria in polymer–liquid–liquid systems

The phase equilibria in polymer–liquid 1–liquid 2 ternary systems have been calculated on the basis of the Flory-Huggins theory of polymer solutions. A new approximation method based on the “cluster” concept has been introduced for mixed solvents comprising a solvent and a nonsolvent. This concept has been verified with polystyrene–solvent–methanol systems.     

Performance of polypropylene–wood fiber composites

Polypropylene–wood fiber composites were prepared in the optimal mixture conditions determined in a previous work (180°C, 60 rpm, 10 min). Tensile, impact and three-point bending tests were performed in order to evaluate the adhesion between matrix and wood fibers. Other than mixture conditions, drying temperature of treated wood fiber is also an important factor to obtain good performance composites as shown in this work. Tensile properties of composites submitted to two extreme conditions (immersion in water at ambient temperature for 90 days and immersion in boiling water for 1 h) were determined. Heat deflection temperature and thermal analysis of composites were evaluated.     

Phase transitions in segmented polyesterurethane–DMSO–water systems

The phase separation processes occurring in polyurethane/DMSO/water mixtures were studied using DSC and cloud point measurements. It is demonstrated that liquid–liquid demixing occurs in ternary solutions of segmented polyesterurethanes at sufficiently high water concentrations. It is also shown that the hard segment can crystallize from solution when cooled to room temperature; while if the mixture is cooled to sufficiently low temperatures, DMSO partially freezes, which also induces crystallization of the soft segment. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 716–723, 2005     

Crystallization kinetics of polymer–diluent mixtures. Influence of benzophenone on the spherulitic growth rate of isotactic polystyrene

As an extension of earlier work on the crystallization kinetics of isotactic polystyrene, the spherulite growth rate in mixtures of isotactic polystyrene and benzophenone has been measured over a concentration range extending from pure polymer to a mixture containing about 30% benzophenone. The glass transition temperature has been measured over the entire range from pure polymer to pure benzophenone. For the mixtures the dependence of the growth rate on temperature is similar to that of the undiluted polymer. The addition of benzophenone causes a shift of the crystallization range to lower temperatures. For mixtures containing up to about 20% benzophenone, the maximum in the growth rate increases with increasing content of benzophenone. On addition of more benzophenone, the maximum rate is depressed. Taking into account the glass transition temperature of the mixtures, the influence of benzophenone on the melting point of isotactic polystyrene, and the volume fraction of polymer, we can describe the influence of benzophenone on the growth rate in a semiquantitative way.     

Phase studies of surfactant–water systems

Significant advances have been made in establishing phase behavior of a number of nonionic, cationic, anionic, catanionic and fluorinated surfactants in water. An interest in phase equilibria existing at sub-ambient temperatures is developing. The study of cubic, intermediate, defective lamellar and sponge phases is an active field of research at present. Further work is needed in exploring thermodynamic stability of rigid nanodisks and densely packed vesicles. Colloidal aspects, thermodynamic and volumetric properties of the surfactant-containing systems deserve special attention.     

The crystallization of polymer–diluent mixtures

A theory pertinent to the nucleation of polymer-diluent systems for molecules of finite molecular weight has been developed. These results have been applied to the crystallization from polyethylene-α-chloronaphthalene mixtures using molecular weight fractions of polyethylene ranging from 4,000 to 250,000. This analysis is carried out over the composition range extending from pure polymer to a polymer fraction of 0.30. According to this theory, the interfacial basal free energy decreases as either the molecular weight or diluent concentration decreases.     

Study of physicochemical interactions in metal–polymer systems

This article deals with the investigation of adhesive joints of unlike metals separated by layers of thermoplastics. Experimental data are presented on electrical conductivity of polymers at temperatures of 333–573 K in the electric field of 1–10² V/cm. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy data have been used to establish correlation between the parameters of the voltage generated on the metal–polymer specimens and the existence of groups that can form hydrogen bonds. Adhesive strength of the adhesive joints is discussed in connection with the performance of a metal–polymer–metal voltaic couple when the adhesive joints are being formed. The results presented allow a conclusion that polymeric dielectrics exhibit properties of electrolytes when heated in contact with metals. Therefore electrochemical interactions between components of metal–polymer systems should be taken into consideration when predictions are made of performance characteristics of industrial materials based on polymers and metals.     

Isochronal temperature–concentration diagram for a polymer–diluent system

The results of an investigation of the viscoelastic and thermal properties of the gelatin–glycerol system are presented in the form of a complete temperature–composition diagram. This diagram shows the isochronal (10-sec.) mechanical behavior of the system along lines of constant modulus and thereby affords a convenient assessment of variation in viscoelastic behavior along any isotherm or isopleth of interest. Comparison of the results with previously obtained limited sets of data on a number of other polymer–dilent systems indicates the applicability and utility of such a presentation.     

Determination of thermodynamic parameters of polymer–solvent systems from sedimentation–diffusion equilibrium in the ultracentrifuge

Sedimentation equilibrium in the ultracentrifuge means that there is such a distribution of molecular species throughout the cell, that the centrifugal forces are balanced by differences in the activities. This provides a method for determination of the activities and the chemical potentials in polymer solutions which, in principle, is very simple and reliable. A complication is caused by polydispersity of the dissolved polymer. If one assumes that the interaction parameter depends on concentration and temperature, but not on molecular weight, it is possible to determine the chemical potential of polymer and solvent from the ultracentrifugal data. Experiments have been carried out on the systems polystyrene–toluene and polystyrene–cyclohexane at different temperatures and in the concentration range 0–80 wt-%. The results are expressed in the data for the chemical potential of the solvent, the number average chemical potential of the polymer and the interaction parameter χ.     

Polymerisation and structure–property relationships of Ziegler–Natta catalysed isotactic polypropylenes

Polypropylene homopolymer samples were prepared with a Ziegler–Natta catalyst using two different external donors, namely diphenyldimethoxysilane (DPDMS), and methylphenyldimethoxysilane (MPDMS). Each donor was used in varying molar ratios to the catalyst in order to prepare samples for physical testing. The polymers were fully characterised and also fractionated by preparative TREF with characterisation of the fractions. In terms of the polymerisation reactions the DPDMS external donor exerts greater influence at the active sites than the MPDMS and produces polymer of higher molar mass and lower polydispersity. The physical properties of the polymers were investigated using microhardness measurements. It is revealed that the microhardness is strongly dependent on the stereoregularity of the samples.     

A Flory–Huggins thermodynamic approach for predicting sorption equilibrium in ternary polymer systems

The Flory–Huggins theory as modified by Pouchlý has been applied to calculate preferential (λ) and total (Y) sorption coefficients for a ternary polymer system. The ternary interaction function (?₁?₂?₃G_T(u₁, ?₃)) is described as the product of three independent binary functions. This expression allows prediction of λ and Y from binary interaction parameters χ, χ, g, g, and g₁₂(?₁₀). Three ternary polymer systems are used to check the validity of the expression. Moreover for polymer systems in which the parameters g and/or g are unknown, a procedure to evaluate them has been developed and verified on systems for which sufficient experimental information is available.     

Thermodynamic interactions in polymer systems by gas–liquid chromatography. III. Polyethylene–hydrocarbons

Thermodynamic interaction parameters have been calculated from gas–liquid chromatographic measurements for linear and branched polyethylene interacting with selected hydrocarbons. The values of the interaction parameter χ are substantial in spite of chemical similarities between the polymer and low molecular weight hydrocarbon species, a fact attributed to significant differences in the respective thermal expansion coefficients. A systematic increase of χ is observed in going from branched to linear polyethylene systems. The thermal expansion coefficients of these polymer homologs therefore may not be identical. The present χ values differ substantially from those reported in earlier literature. The comparison confirms suspicions that some older data, based on equilibrium sorption experiments, were erroneously low because of an underestimate in the reduced melting temperature of polymer in the presence of excess solvent.     

Phase behavior of polystyrene–polyisoprene–toluene systems in the temperature range 15–45°c

The phase behavior of narrow molecular weight distribution samples of polystyrene and polyisoprene in the presence of toluene was investigated by means of gel permeation chromatography. Equilibrium phase diagrams, tie lines, and critical points for a number of partially miscible polystyrene-polyisoprene-toluene systems were generated at 15 and 30°C and 1 atm pressure. The data were combined with previously reported results at 45°C. Using the experimentally determined phase compositions along with literature values of the polymer–solvent interaction parameters, the polymer–polymer interaction parameters were evaluated using the Flory–Huggins theory. The influence of temperature, polymer molecular weight, and polymer–solvant interaction parameters on the size, shape, and location of the equilibrium phase curve, the location of the critical point, and the polymer–polymer interaction parameter was studied.     

Porous structure formation and swelling properties of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymers – effect of diluent nature

The effect of the diluent solvating power on the porosity and swelling properties of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymers was investigated. A mechanism for the swelling of macroporous copolymers in good and poor solvent was proposed. The porous structures were classified according to kinetic data of a poor solvent sorption. When the diluent–copolymer affinity was reduced, the fixed pore volume increased, but the nuclei swelling and the elasticity of internuclear chains diminished.     

Phase boundaries and thermodynamic analysis of the rare-earth-rich alloys in the La-Tl and Pr-In systems

The phase boundaries in the rare-earth-rich portions of the lanthanumthallium and praseodymium-indium systems were determined using differential thermal methods. The solid solubility of Tl in b.c.c. γ-La is 11.0 at.% at the 655 °C eutectic temperature and that in f.c.c. β-La is 1.9 at.% at the 640 °C eutectoid temperature. The solid solubility of In in b.c.c. β-Pr is 9.8 at.% at the 825 °C eutectic temperature while that in d.h.c.p. α-Pr is 5.6 at.% at the 725 °C eutectoid temperature. The first La-rich compound, La₃ Tl, decomposes peritectoidally at 645 °C and La₂Tl melts peritectically at 900 °C. The compound Pr₃In decomposes peritectically at 930 °C.The thermodynamic analyses data for these alloys were compared with those reported for the La-In and Pr-Tl systems.     

Phase behavior of polymer/diluent/diluent mixtures and their application to control microporous membrane structure

Rechargeable battery separators containing controlled pores were fabricated via the thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) process. Based on the idea that pores could be manipulated by controlling the liquid–liquid phase separation temperature in the TIPS process, phase boundaries of the polymer–diluent systems were controlled by using diluent mixtures. Phase behaviors of the polymer/diluent/diluent ternary blends consisting of polyethylene (PE) as polymer, and soybean oil (SBO) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as diluents were explored. PE/SBO and PE/DOP binary blends, and PE/SOB/DOP ternary blends exhibited typical upper critical solution temperature (UCST) type phase behaviors, and the phase separation temperatures of the PE/SBO blends were higher than those of the PE/DOP blends. When the mixing ratio of the polymer and diluent-mixture was fixed, the phase separation temperature of the PE/SBO/DOP blend initially increased with increasing SBO content in the diluent-mixture passing through a maximum centered at about 80 wt% SBO and decreased beyond this point. Furthermore, the phase separation temperature of the PE/diluent-mixture blend was always higher than that of the PE/SBO blend when the diluent-mixture contained more than or equal to 50 wt% SBO. To understand the observed phase behavior of the blends, thermodynamic analyses based on the lattice-fluid theory were performed. Larger pore membranes were fabricated from the blend when higher phase separation temperatures of the blend were exhibited.