Magnetic alignment of self-assembled anthracene organogel fibers

High magnetic fields are shown to be remarkably effective to orient self-assembled 2,3-bis-n-decyloxyanthracene (DDOA) fibers during organogel preparation. Magnetic orientation of DDOA results in a highly organized material displaying a fiber-orientation order parameter of 0.85, a large linear birefringence, and fluorescence dichroism. The aligned organogel is stable after removal of the magnetic field at room temperature and consists of fibers oriented perpendicular to the magnetic field direction, as shown by scanning electron microscopy. Models for the molecular organization within the gel fibers are discussed upon quantitative analysis of the birefringence. Prospectively, magnetic alignment can be used to improve specific properties of organogel materials.     

Microstructure rearrangement during the heat-treatment of melt-drawn poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers

Melt-spun poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers were isothermally heat-treated at constant length. Microstructural changes occurring during the heat-treatment were monitored using specific gravity, wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS), small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), optical birefringence, and static mechanical testing. Major changes in the density of the most highly oriented fiber examined occurred in times below 100 ms. For less oriented fibers, the time scale for significant density change increases to the 1–10 s range. The course of birefringence increase approximates that of the density. WAXS measurements show that crystallinity develops at essentially constant crystal perfection, but that the orientation of the crystallites first decreases and then increases with time. SAXS results show development of a four-point pattern, the azimuthal angle of the lobes decreasing with initial orientation, with temperature, and with time. A streak transverse to the fiber axis develops more rapidly than do the lobes. A two-stage transformation process is envisaged, the first stage being the formation of defective crystal fibrils and the second being internal rearrangement of the fibrils to form more perfect crystallites, separated by more amorphous zones. Changes in the crystallite orientation are related to constraints of the noncrystalline material on the crystallites.     

Zero-Birefringence Optical Polymer by Birefringent Crystal and Analysis of the Compensation Mechanism

Summary: We reported a method for compensating the birefringence of optical polymers by doping them with inorganic birefringent crystals. In this method, an inorganic birefringent material is chosen that has the opposite birefringence to the polymer and needle-like shape crystals which are oriented when the polymer chains are oriented. The birefringence of the polymer is thus compensated by the opposing birefringence of the crystal. Orientation behavior of the needle-like crystals and polymers was investigated. The orientation function of the needle-like crystal was increased with an increase in the aspect ratio of the needle-like crystal.     

Investigation of structural changes in wool fibers due to annealing

Structural changes in wool fibers after annealing, i.e., storage at 45°C and 80% RH, have been investigated by using the method of laser Raman spectroscopy and by measuring birefringence and density of wool. The results show that CH₂ groups in wool give parallel Raman dichroism which increases very significantly after annealing. No increase in birefringence and density occurred after annealing. A hypothesis has been put forward which states that for minimum energy considerations in wool fibers the existence of intrahelix crosslinks other than hydrogen bonds is important. It is highly probable that a large number of electrovalent intrahelix crosslinkages exist between the suitable side groups on the main polypeptide chain in the α-helix of annealed wool.     

The effect of natural rubber crosslink density on real time birefringence,true stress and true strain behavior

A newly developed real time spectral birefringence technique was implemented to follow the coupled relationships between birefringence, true stress and true strain behavior of varying crosslink density natural rubber vulcanizates at room temperature. It was shown that the stress optical law is valid even at early stages of crystallization during stretching and there exists a critical birefringence beyond which the metastable “near perfect” oriented and highly distorted crystalline regions form and upon retraction this crystalline order disappears at the same critical birefringence level. These crystalline regions exhibit nematic order with significant axial registry distortions at early stages of the formation. They are suggested to form at or near the juncture points of the chemical network formed by crosslinks, and physical network by chain entanglements where the orientability of the chains is the most efficient.     

Polyethylene fiber formation in tubular flow. I. Observations of growth pattern and fiber properties

The process of seeded growth of fibrillar polyethylene crystals has been studied in a tubular flow geometry for 0.01-wt % solutions of a high-molecular-weight polyethylene in xylene. The transformation sequence has been followed visually by using polarized-light illumination in conjunction with a video camera. Data are presented to show that transformation is initiated by the formation of a concentrated, unoriented, amorphous precursor fiber within which oriented birefringent crystals subsequently grow in consequence of the stresses transmitted by the flowing solution. Time constants for the precursor formation, birefringence initiation, and completion of birefringence were measured as functions of temperature and flow rate over a range of growth conditions. Wide-angle x-ray diffraction, overall birefringence, and optical hot-stage melting data were also obtained on the grown fibers. The net result of these observations is to conclude that fibrillar crystal growth during flow is always preceded by the formation of a liquidlike phase transformation which produces the concentrated, unoriented precursor. Subsequent orientation is in consequence of stress-induced crystallization with overall fiber orientation showing an increase with solution flow rate at a fixed temperature and a decrease with temperature at a fixed flow rate. At higher temperatures and lower flow rates, birefringence develops in an oscillatory fashion, indicating a remelting process possibly due to slippage of trapped chain entanglements formed by flow. A discussion is given of the implications of these observations for the understanding of flow-induced structure development, phase transformation, and oriented crystallization; this is expanded upon in a companion paper, Part II.     

Characterization of Kevlar fiber surfaces using a newly developed infrared photoacoustic technique

A newly developed infrared photoacoustic technique has been used to obtain information about the orientation of the surface functional groups of Kevlar-49^R fibers. This method involves the use of a highly polarizable gas in the photoacoustic cell and comparison of the spectra with a non-polarizable coupling gas. A highly polarizable inert gas, xenon, enhances the surface modes oriented parallel to the surface and suppresses the intensity of the perpendicular modes. This method shows differences in the structure of the skin and the core of the fibers. The polymer chains in the skin are oriented parallel to the surface, and in the core they are almost radially oriented.     

Measurement and quantitative analysis of fiber orientation distribution in long fiber reinforced part by injection molding

The fiber orientation distribution is one of the important microstructure variables for thermoplastic composites reinforced with discontinuous fibers. In this paper, the long fibers in the injection molded part are measured in detail by micro X-ray CT. A three dimensional (3D) structure of the sample is built and two dimensional images are generated for image analysis. The orientation tensor of fibers is calculated in the flow plane. It shows a symmetric distribution of fibers through the thickness direction, which consists of outer skin, transition zone and the core. The skin layer is so thin that it has only one layer of highly oriented fibers. The core layer also has highly oriented fibers but the direction of fibers is different from that in the skin layer. Nevertheless, the clustering of the fibers is characterized quantitatively in the core. The transition zone can be divided into two subzones by the principal directions of the tensor.     

Birefringence dispersion in oriented polystyrene

The dispersion of birefringence in oriented amorphous polymers is discussed. It is shown that for polystyrene, the birefringence can be considered as the product of an orientation function and a function of the wavelength of the light. This leads to a method for expressing the birefringence dispersion as a function that is characteristic of the polymer. This function is determined for polystyrene, and from it the birefringence at infinite wavelength is found to be 11% lower than that measured with the mercury green line (5461 A.).     

Higher order structural analysis of stereocomplex‐type poly(lactic acid) melt‐spun fibers

The higher order structure of stereocomplex‐type poly(lactic acid) melt‐spun fibers of an equimolar blend of poly(L ‐lactic acid) and poly(D ‐lactic acid) was analyzed with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and birefringence measurements. Two different crystalline structures were observed in the fibers: α‐form homocrystals and stereocomplex crystals. The weight fractions of the two crystals were estimated with the WAXD integrated intensity data. The crystalline orientation factors were obtained from the WAXD measurements. Well‐oriented homocrystals formed during a drawing process at the crystallization temperature of the homocrystal. Drawing above this temperature caused the stereocomplex crystal to be formed. The crystalline orientation tended to be lower with increasing drawing temperatures. Through the combination of the intrinsic birefringence and the fractions of the α‐form homocrystals and stereocomplex crystals, the birefringence of the amorphous phase was evaluated. The amorphous birefringence stayed positive and decreased with increasing drawing temperature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 218–228, 2007     

An approximate method of determination of birefringence of circular fibers from intensity distribution of backscattered light

A method proposed for determination of high birefringence values of circular fibers is based on an analysis of the intensity of backscattered light for two orthogonal polarization directions of the incident light. The method has been used in the determination of birefringence of nylon 6-6 fiber from a circular photographic recording of scattered light. The values thus obtained are compared with those obtained by polarized light microscopy.     

Application of continuous zone-drawing/zone-annealing method to poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers

A continuous zone-drawing/zone-annealing method was applied to poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers in order to improve their mechanical properties. Apparatus used for this treatment was assembled in our laboratory. The continuous zone-drawing treatment was carried out at a drawing temperature of 103°C under an applied tension of 6.6 MPa to fully orient amorphous chains in the drawing direction without inducing thermal crystallization. The continuous zone-annealing treatment was carried out twice at an annealing temperature of 160°C under 102.2 MPa and at 183°C under 161.1 MPa to crystallize the highly oriented amorphous chains. The fiber was continuously drawn and annealed at a rate of 420 mm/min. The fiber obtained had a birefringence of 0.260, a degree of crystallinity of 55%, a tensile modulus of 18 GPa, and a storage modulus of 21 GPa at 25°C. Despite the large difference in the treating speed between the continuous zone-annealing and zone-annealing, their values are approximately equal to those of the zone-annealed PET fiber that was reported previously. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 473–481, 1998     

Retardation of dissolution and surface modification of high-modulus poly(ethylene) fiber by the synergetic action of solvent and stress

Retardation of dissolution of highly oriented polyethylene fibers exposed to solvent under a constant tensile force has been investigated in comparison to free conditions. Beyond a critical value of the applied force, the time for dissolution increases sharply by several orders of magnitude. This effect is significant only in fibers with high initial orientation. It is attributed to the existence of a network of oriented crystallites. We have utilized this effect for surface modification of highly oriented PE fibers, by exposure to solvent at different temperatures and applied stress. At a relatively low load the action of the solvent displays pronounced effects: roughening of the fiber surface, formation of a nonoriented crystalline phase, enhancement of adhesion to epoxy resin with some loss of strength. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Form birefringence in biaxially oriented polypropylene

The birefringence of several biaxially oriented polypropylene films swollen with a number of fluids has been measured and found to exhibit a minimum when plotted against the fluid refractive index, as predicted by the theory of Wiener. However, a discrepancy in the form birefringence behavior is observed when samples of different degrees of crystallinity but the same total birefringence are compared. These results are interpreted in terms of Bullough's theory and suggest that this discrepancy arises because of different morphologies. A refractometric technique was employed that makes possible the simultaneous determination of birefringence and the volume fraction of fluid.     

试样两端固定或松弛态结晶对取向非晶态聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯膜结晶的影响

<正> 在研究聚合物的结晶过程中,有时(如在同步辐射法、X-衍射法和红外法的测定中)须将试样两端固定,有时(如研究热处理过程中取向聚合物的尺寸和结构变化)须将试样处于松弛状态。因而研究两端固定或松弛状态对取向聚合物结晶速率和结构的影响引起了人们的兴趣。一些研究结果得出,与松弛状态结晶相比,试样两端固定态结晶使取向聚合物的结晶速率变慢,但有时也出现相反的结果。此外,在上述文献中所用的原始试样都已具有较高的结晶度。为了弄清这一问题,我们用密度、双折射和应力测量等方法对取向程度不同的非晶态PET膜进行了深入和系统的研究。结果表明,试样两端固定与否对结晶速率的影响与试样原始的取向程度有关。     

试样两端固定或松弛态结晶对取向非晶态聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯膜结晶的影响

The Crystallization of constrained and fre oriented amorphous PET films were studied by using density, birefringence and stress measurements. It has been shown that depending on the birefringence of original sample, the effect of fixing two ends of samples on the Crystallization rate shows different behavior. For amor hous PET film with high birefringence the Crystallization rate of constrained sample is faster. For oriented amorphous PET with very low birefringence the Crystallization rate of free sample is faster.     

Effect of birefringence on the scattering of light. II. Oriented polymers

It has been considered for some time that the presence of birefringence in an oriented polymer must affect the light-scattering behavior. Previous analyses of this phenomenon are restricted to single-particle scattering. A more complete theory of the effect of birefringence on the scattering of light from correlated systems is presented. The measured scattering intensity is shown to be dependent upon the optical properties of the sample as well as the experimental technique and conditions.     

Physical and mechanical properties of ultra-oriented high-density polyethylene fibers

Ultra-oriented high-density polyethylene fibers (HDPE) have been prepared by solid-state extrusion over 60–140°C range using capillary draw ratios up to 52 and extrusion pressures of 0.12 to 0.49 GPa. The properties of the fibers have been assessed by birefringence, thermal expansivity, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray analysis, and mechanical testing. A maximum birefringence of 0.0637 ± 0.0015 was obtained, greater than the calculated value of 0.059 for the intrinsic birefringence of the orthorhombic crystal phase. The maximum modulus obtained was 70 GPa. The melting point, density, crystallinity, and negative thermal expansion coefficient parallel to the fiber axis all increase rapidly with draw ratio and at draw ratios of 20–30 attain limiting values comparable with those of a polyethylene single crystal. The properties of the fibers have been analyzed using the simple rule of mixtures, assuming a two-phase model of crystalline and noncrystalline microstructure. The orientation of the noncrystalline phase with draw ratio was determined by birefringence and x-ray measurements. Solid-state extrusion of HDPE near the ambient melting point produced a c-axis orientation of 0.996 and a noncrystalline orientation function of 0.36. Extrusion 50°C below the ambient melting point produced a decrease in crystallinity, c-axis orientation, melting point, and birefringence, but the noncrystalline orientation increased at low draw ratios and was responsible for the increased thermal shrinkage of the fibers.     

Determination of the space-charge field amplitude in polymeric photorefractive polymers

The space-charge field built in a polymeric photorefractive polymer was calculated by a simple method based on the oriented gas model. When anisotropic chromophores in a photorefractive polymer were exposed to an external field, they oriented preferentially to exhibit a birefringence. Then, under illumination of two coherent beams and an external field, they reoriented to form a photorefractive grating. During the formation of the grating, the chromophores were reoriented by the space-charge field as well as by the external applied field. The birefringence induced in the material by an external electric field was determined by measuring the transmittance of the sample which is placed between crossed polarizers, where birefringence depicts the orientation of the chromophores. By measuring the diffraction efficiency with a modified degenerate four-wave mixing setup, the index amplitude of the grating was determined. Finally, the space-charge field was determined by comparing the diffraction efficiency with the birefringence with respect to the applied electric field. In our study, the space-charge field was about 20% of the external applied field, which coincided with previous results obtained from our laboratory.