Effect of the molecular weight of polystyrene on the viscosity of concentrated solutions

The viscosity of solutions of polystyrene of various molecular weights (from 1.04 · 10² to 3.8 · 10⁵) in a poor solvent (decalin) and a good solvent (ethylbenzene) has been measured at temperatures from 15 to 70°C over a broad range of shear stresses from 10² to 10⁶ dyne/cm². The nature of the solvent has a considerable influence on the critical molecular weight and the absolute value of the viscosities of the solutions over the entire range of molecular weights and on the form of the flow curves of decalin solutions of polystyrene as a function of temperature. The heat of activation of viscous flow increases with increase in molecular weight and shear stress on the interval 20–80°C. The results obtained are explained in terms of the effect of the molecular weight of the polymer, the nature of the solvent, stress and temperature on structure formation in the solution and on the orientation of the macromolecules and structures in the flow process.Ural Gor'kii State University, Sverdlovsk. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 920–926, September–October, 1970.     

A new method of measuring the viscoelastic properties of polymer systems in fluid and highly elastic states using forced vibrations in the ultralow-frequency region

A method is considered for measuring the dynamic mechanical characteristics of polyer systems using forced vibrations in the ultralow-frequency region down to 10^–6 Hz. The essence of this method lies in the fact that during the measurement process the motion of the polymer sample is controlled with a set amplitude and frequency, and the dynamic characteristics of the polymer are determined from the controlling mechanical stress. The method is illustrated using the results of measurements of the components of the complex modulus for polybutadiene over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies without making use of superimposition.The Central Constructional Bureau for Prototype Instrument Construction, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 344–347, March–April, 1976.     

The dynamic properties of polyethylene and an acrylonitrile — Butadiene — Styrene material in a broad range of temperature and strain-rate variation

Conclusions The mechanical properties of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene material and polyethylenes of densities =0.92 and 0.96 g/cm³ are studied within the temperature range of from 100 to –196°C and at strain rates of from 10^–3 to 1.3 · 10³ sec^–1. It is observed that under low-temperature and high-strain-rate conditions, the laws governing the mechanical properties of the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene material and polyethylenes are similar. Regions of strain rates and temperatures are found for which the behavior of the test materials is in good agreement with the Ree-Eyring equation, and, consequently, conforms to a temperature-time analogy. No embrittlement of the polyethylene is observed during tests at strain rates to 1.3 · 10³ sec^–1 and temperatures down to –196°C. In approximating these values of and T, the mechanical properties of polyethylenes will cease to be dependent on initial density.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, 1027–1033, November–December, 1978.     

Effect of the molecular weight of monodisperse specimens of high-density polyethylene on the dynamic modulus of elasticity

The effect of the molecular weight on the instantaneous dynamic modulus of elasticity of monodisperse specimens of linear polyethylene has been studied. It is shown that above a critical value of the molecular weight the modulus of elasticity is constant and equal to 4·10⁹ N/m², while below that value it increases to 7.28·10⁹ N/m².M. Azizbekov Azerbaidzhan Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry, Baku. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 3, pp. 531–533, May–June, 1976.     

Impact strength of high-density polyethylene with various molecular weight distributions

The Charpy impact strength of high-density polyethylene specimens prepared under low pressure with average molecular weight from 60·10³ to 1.5·10⁶ and differing substantially in molecular weight distributions has been studied at room temperature and at –190°C. It is shown that, both at room temperature and at temperature considerably below the glass-formation temperature, the impact strength of polyethylene in the range of molecular weights mentioned is determined mainly by the content of fractions with molecular weights about 10⁵ and more and does not depend on the width of the molecular weight distribution."Plastpolimer" Scientific-Research Association, Leningrad. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 919–921, September–October, 1973.     

Vibrational frequency shifts in the stretched polypropylene molecule

The GF matrix method is used to compute the changes in the skeletal vibration frequencies for a simplified model of isotactic polypropylene stretched by a loadf. The series of frequencies obtained atf=0 are identified with those experimentally observed. A linear approximation is used for the deformation potential energy atf=0–2·10^–4 dyneperchain. The results of the calculations are presented in graph form.A. F. Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 586–594, July–August, 1968.     

Effect of cycle asymmetry on the cyclic strength of polymers

Cyclic strength diagrams have been obtained for polymethyl methacrylate and kaprolon at different degrees of loading asymmetry (from a pure compression to a pure tension cycle) on the interval from –100 to +80° C at 2·10³ and 3·10⁵ cycles.M. I. Kalinin Leningrad Polytechnic Institute. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 948–951, September–October, 1968.     

Polyformaldehyde as an antifriction material

The antifriction properties of polyformaldehyde have been studied on the velocity interval from 4 · 10^–4 to 10 m/sec and at loads to 300 kgf/cm². Tests were conducted with and without lubrication on laboratory friction machines of various types and under service conditions. Steel, emery cloth, and polyformaldehyde were used as the second member of the friction pair. The values of the coefficients of friction, temperatures and performance limits for polyformaldehyde are compared with those for polycaprolactam.All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Railroad Transport, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 850–856, September–October, 1969.     

Failure of water-filled cylindrical glass-reinforced epoxy shells under internal impulsive loading

Conclusions 1. The explosive failure of water-filled, geometrically similar glass-reinforced epoxy shells, whose dimensions increase by a factor of 1.5–4.4, is not associated with an energetic scale effect. This is attributable to the imperfect similarity of the shells, since although their dimensions changed, the diameter of the glass reinforcing fibers remained the same.2. The relative mass of explosive required to fracture the shells is approximately 0.4%. With respect to this index, glass-reinforced epoxy is comparable to structural steels 20 and 17Mn1Si at R₀160 mm.3. The circumferential deformation of the shells at failure is about 4% and does not depend on the thickness of the shell wall, the dimensions of geometrically similar shells, or the initial strain rate on the interval 0.21 · 10³–1.2 · 10³ sec^–1. Thin-walled shells begin to fail from the outside surface, thick-walled shells from the inside surface.4. The modulus of elasticity of the GRE is 2.4 · 10⁵ kgf/cm² and does not depend on the strain rate on the interval 10^–3–1.5 · 10³ sec^–1. The material deforms elastically up to failure.Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 283–289, March–April, 1978.     

Mass-spectrometric investigation of solid lubricating coatings subjected to friction in a deep vacuum

The life of solid lubricating coatings of the VNII NP type, based on molybdenum disulfides and various binders, has been experimentally investigated under deep vacuum conditions (10^–8–5 · 10^–9 torr) together with the composition of the gas released in the friction process. It is shown that both under atmospheric conditions and in a deep vacuum the life of the coatings depends on the chemical nature of the film-former. The depth of the vacuum also has an important influence on the life of the coatings, both the mechanism and the end result of this effect depending to a large extent on the physicochemical properties of the bind. On the interval 10^–1–10^–2 torr there is a sudden change in the life of the coating.Physicotechnical Institute of Low Temperatures, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Khar'kov. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1070–1075, November–December, 1970.     

Temperature-frequency dependence of the elastic constants of certain resins

The authors present the results of an experimental investigation of the elastic constants of certain crosslinked and linear polymers in the temperature range from –50 to +110° C and the frequency range from 10¹ to 10⁵ Hz. The elastic constants were determined by both quasi-static and dynamic methods. The range of application of the different methods are characterized with respect to a time scale. It is shown that when certain experimental conditions are observed (strain rate, frequency), the values of the constants obtained by the different methods almost coincide. On the basis of temperature measurements it is postulated that rigid epoxies have a secondary low-temperature dispersion region.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 60–65, 1967     

Strength of glass laminates at low temperatures and high strain rates

The tensile strengths of glass laminates of various compositions under standard, high-speed and impact loading have been experimentally investigated in relation to the effect of low-temperature and stress raisers. As the loading rate increases (from 0.7 to 253 · 10³ kgf/cm². · sec) and the temperature falls to –196° C, the effective stress concentration coefficient decreases, which indicates that the glass laminates will perform adequately under these conditions.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 836–841, September–October, 1970.     

Dynamic properties of some polymer materials in loading and unloading

A series of quasi-static tests have been carried out on kapron fiber, vinyl plastic, and fluoroplastic specimens with small cross sections. Stress-strain diagrams have been obtained at strain rates from 1 · 10^–3 to 1 · 10² sec^–1. In the experiments the strain rate changed sign, which corresponded to loading and unloading. In each regime the strain rate remained constant. The experimental data are analyzed using the model of a standard linear viscoelastic solid.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 118–122, 1967     

Dynamic modulus of polymethylmethacrylate saturated with carbon dioxide

The authors have devised a method for measuring the complex modulus of elasticity of non-plasticized polymethylmethacrylate of grade ST-1-110 in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide. The pressure of the saturated gas in the working chamber was varied between 4·10⁵ and 60·10⁵ N/m², and the experiments were performed at 18–90°C.S. M. Kirov Ural Polytechnic Institute, Sverdlovsk. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 370–372, March–April, 1974.     

Ein Elektronenvervielfacher als Pulslichterzeuger

Summary A 7-stage electron multiplier with grid control system is described with respect to construction and performance. A coaxial feedback cable permits the regeneration of pulses with a repetition frequency of from 10 MC to 0·1 MC and a pulse length of about 8×10^–9s. The luminescence of the dynodes was investigated and an identity in the duration of the light pulses and the electrical pulses has been found. The interpretation of the luminescence effects by assuming electro-fluorescence phenomena indicates applications to problems of stroboscopy and of high-speed computation and storage devices.     

Ein Impulsgenerator mit Sekundäremissionsröhren

Summary A pulse generator employing secondary emission valves is described. The generator produces positive and negative output pulses with adjustable pulse duration from 10^–7 to 10^–5 s and a rise time of about 1,3·10^–8s. In addition to these test-pulses, signals for the beam brightening and the sweep of a cathode-ray oscillograph are generated, permitting the study of high-speed transients with an ordinary oscilloscope.     

Effect of steady-state flow of a polyisobutylene solution on its dynamic characteristics measured in the direction of flow

The effect of steady-state flow on the linear dynamic characteristics of a 10% solution of polyisobutylene in cetane, measured in the direction of flow, is investigated. The material characteristics in steady-state flow quantitatively describe the dynamic viscosity and elasticity at deformation frequencies small as compared with the steady-state shear rate.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 913–919, September–October, 1970.     

Rheological and dynamic thermomechanical propert ies of epoxy composites reinforced with single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes

An epoxy resin (Epon 828) was filled with single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT and MWCNT) in two steps by using the high shear mixing and ultrasonication techniques. The melt flow of the composites was characterized in a plate/plate rheometer. The thermomechanical properties of the composites were determined in dynamic mechanical analysis tests performed at various frequencies and temperatures. It was found that the incorporation of SWCNT or MWCNT increased the viscosity and stiffness of epoxy above its glass-transition temperature. The time-temperature superposition principle was employed to estimate the storage modulus of the composites as a function of frequency (f = 10^–33–10³ Hz) in the form of master curves.     

Experimental study of young's modulus of glass-plastics

The results of study of Young's modulus of glass-plastics in the 10^–1–10⁵-Hz frequency range are presented. A stepwise variation in the modulus, which governs the relaxation process corresponding to a low-temperature internal-friction peak in the filler, is obtained.Rybinsk Institute of Aircraft Technology. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1089–1091, November–December, 1975.