Dilatometric study of glass transition kinetics in polyisoprene

From dielectric measurements the thermal dependence and the distribution function of the relaxation times can be determined. In the present contribution we are testing the correspondence between the relaxation times obtained from the dielectric measurement and the dilatometric behavior of the material in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature. The experimental data used for the comparison were obtained for the sample of polyisoprene.     

Deformation behavior of oriented UHMW-PE fibers

The mechanical behavior of gel-spun, ultra-drawn, UHMW-PE fibers was investigated as a function of temperature, stress, and time under static and dynamic loading conditions. From a phenomenological point of view, two separate contributions to the deformation behavior could be distinguished, i.e., a reversible (viscoelastic) contribution and an irreversible plastic flow component. It was investigated whether or not this distinction can be rationalized on a molecular basis. The fibers were studied using static (creep) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), dilatometry, and wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS). The results of the combined experimental observations are discussed in an attempt to relate the deformation behavior of highly oriented PE fibers to events occurring on a molecular scale.     

Stability of spherical and rod-like micelles of ionic surfactants,in relation to their counterion binding and modes of hydration

Aqueous salt solutions of ionic surfactants in both spherical and rod-like micelles have been treated on the basis of a statistical thermodynamic theory, and the double logarithmic relationship between micelle molecular weight and ionic strength is derived for each micelle. Counterion binding on both micelles are assumed to occur specifically, and their degrees of dissociation are related to the slopes of the linear double logarithmic relations. It is found from the relationship observed for typical surfactants that the effective charge of spherical micelles is 29±4. The degree of dissociation of rod-like micelles of these surfactants is primarily determined by the counterion species, yielding values 0.8 for Na⁺, 0.4–0.6 for Cl^– and 0.2–0.3 for Br^–. Hydrophilic hydration of both micelles can be evaluated from the intercepts of the linear relations. Hydrophilic hydration acts repulsively in spherical micelles, while it is attractive or much less repulsive in rod-like micelles.     

Effect of coexistent hydrocarbon phase on the volume behavior of adsorbed film and micelle of dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride

Interfacial tension () between aqueous dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) solution and benzene was measured as a function of pressure (p) and concentration. The/p was observed to change discontinuously at the critical micelle concentration; this indicates that the micelle formation of DTAC in the aqueous solution coexisting with benzene can be treated like the appearance of a macroscopic phase. It was shown by drawing the vs.A curves that hydrocarbon, such as benzene, cyclohexane, and hexane, make the adsorbed film of DTAC expand. The volume behavior of the micelle with benzene molecules solubilized was found to bear a strong resemblance to that of the adsorbed film at the water/benzene interface. The difference in the molar volume value of adsorbed DTAC among the coexistent hydrocarbon phases was attributed to the difference in the contribution of the hydrocarbon molecules to the interfacial excess volume; the number of the solubilized hydrocarbon molecules was evaluated to be one or two a micelle.     

Neutron scattering from a deformed “vander Waals chain”-quasi Gaussian approximation

We calculate the neutron scattering form of an affinely deformed van der Waals chain, i.e., a labeled chain embedded in a network, whose deformation behavior can be described by an effective van der Waals equation in an effective Gaussian approximation. This provides microscopic information about the deformation behavior of van der Waals networks and complements the macroscopic information given by stress-strain relations.dedicated to Prof H.-G. Kilian on occasion of his 66th birthday     

Structure/performance relationships in long chain dimethylamine oxide/sodium dodecylsulfate surfactant mixtures

Dramatic differences in the structure of mixed micelles of long chain amine oxides and sodium dodecylsulfate are noted as a function of composition. In the L₁ micellar pseudophase, a sphere-to-rod transition driven by ion-dipole interactions between the dissimilar headgroups leads to synergisms in aqueous solution thickening, Ross-Miles foaming, and nonpolar oil solubilization. For example, an astounding seven orders of magnitude increase in the zero shear viscosity and viscoelastic properties are observed at a single total surfactant concentration. The sphere-to-rod transition can be viewed in FT-IR by examining both the CH₂ stretching for the methylene tails, and the S-O stretching modes for the sulfate headgroups.     

Temperature dependence of the non-Newtonian viscosity of elongated micellar solutions

We report in this work new results of the study on the non-Newtonian viscosity of aqueous micellar solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in the presence of potassium bromide (KBr), in the concentration range where the elongated micelles overlap. The experiments have been performed as a function of the surfactant concentration, temperature and shear rate by use of a Couette-viscosimeter.In the non-Newtonian range, at relatively low surfactant concentration (0.25 M/l), our results show that the flow curves obtained at different temperatures converge to a single liner curve with a characteristic slope varying with the surfactant concentration. These same data can be superposed on a master curve when appropriate reduced variables are used. The shape of the flow curves obtained at different temperatures for a sufficiently high surfactant concentration is similar to that obtained for monodisperse polymer solutions at different molecular weights. The slope obtained of about –1 is also predicted by Graessley's model in the theory of microviscoelasticity based on the concept of entanglement for polymer solutions. However, at surfactant concentration higher than 0.25 M/l our results show an unusual behavior. Above some critical shear rate it is possible to obtain an increase of the apparent viscosity with temperature. One possible explanation of this effect can be found in the increase of the entanglement with concentration coupled with the temperature and direct now effects on scission and recombination rate of the micelles.     

The chain length dependence of self-diffusion in melts of polyethylene and polystyrene

The self-diffusion coefficients in melts of polyethylene fractions and polystyrene standards were measured by the NMR pulsed field gradient technique and compared with those measured by other techniques. The data agree very well if one takes into account the molar mass distribution of the samples and the free volume of the matrix. For molar masses much higher than the critical molar massM _c, reptation is confirmed,D M ^–2 holds. BelowM _e=M_c/2 the self-diffusion coefficients corrected for constant free volume show approximately the dependenceD M ^–1 confirming Rouse-like diffusion. This result was also obtained by investigating the self-diffusion of the molecules with different molar masses of a polyethylene fraction with a rather broad molar mass distribution aroundM _e andM _c, i. e. diffusion in a constant matrix. In the molar mass region betweenM _c and about 3 ·M _c the observed molar mass dependence of self-diffusion can be explained by tube formation. The constraint release model of Graessley seems to slightly overestimate the self-diffusion coefficients.     

Morphology and optical properties of liquid crystals embedded in polyester resin matrix

This paper reports on morphological, thermo-optical, and electro-optical results of UV-cured polyester resin film containing liquid-crystal nematic and cholesteric domains. Electro-optic measurements were performed in an applied d.c. electric field. The morphological structure of PDLC film is modified by the various methods of their preparation. Size-distribution curves drawn vs the duration of the initial cooling obtained for cholesteric liquid crystal domains are presented.     

Determination of the surface free energy of modified carbon fibers and its relation to the work of adhesion

Surface free energy of various carbon fibers was determined by tensiometric method in three different procedures. The dispersive _s ^d and the nondispersive _s ^p components were separately determined by contact angle measurements in two-phase system, formamide-n-alkanes. The _s ^p increased by oxidation and decreased by hydrogen reduction, while the _s ^d remained almost constant.The _s ^p value determined from contact angle of water/ethyleneglycol solution tended to become higher. The critical surface free energy was in harmony with the total free energy determined from formamide-n-alkanes system as long as liquids were properly selected. The formation of oxygen-containing functional groups was evidenced by ESCA, and the surface [O]/[C] ratio was related linearly to the surface polarity defined by _s ^p [ _s ^d + _s ^p ] Oxidation in liquid phase resulted in the formation of both hydroxyls and carboxyls, while only hydroxyls were formed in gas phase. The interfacial shear strength of the fiber-epoxy resin could be closely correlated with thermodynamical work of adhesion calculated on the basis of surface free energy and its component.     

Large deformation in filled networks of different architecture and its interpretation in terms of the van der Waals network model

The first quasi-static stretch of the two limiting systems of filler loaded rubber have been investigated. One of them is found by filler to matrix contacts only, the other by crosslinking permanently the matrix. In this case filler-matrix contacts are made by adhesion. The experimental results were described in terms of an extended van der Waals approach. It is illuminated that different filler to matrix contact (permanent bonds or adhesion) lead to different deformation mechanism, substantially affecting the reinforcement. Moreover, filler induced local field-modifications due to the boundary value problem can be understood with the Einstein-Smallwood approach independent of the kind of the filler to matrix contacts.     

Dilatometric study of deformation induced volume increase and recovery in rigid PVC

A new torsion dilatometer is presented which allows simultaneous measurement of shear deformation, twisting moment, volume variation and axial deformation (or normal force). It is intended to be utilized principally for studies of volume changes during torsion and recovery behavior of amorphous polymers in their glassy state. Preliminary results on unplasticized PVC are presented which show rather complex volume changes. With increasing torsional strain, a volume decrease at low strains was found, followed by a volume increase for higher strains. In the latter case, after coming back to zero torsion angle, shear induced relative volume increase and subsequent recovery were observed.     

Eigenvectors of the polyethylene chain with conformational defects calculated semianalytically by Green's function

Eigenvectors of vibrating polyethylene chains with (200) and (110) folds have been calculated by solving the phonon-scattering problem exactly with the method of Green's function. The results are applied to analyze the resonance modes of the (200) fold (ggtgg: 1353, 1356, 1374 cm^–1) and the (110) fold (approximately ggggtg: 820, 1288, 1342, 1348, 1372, 1374 cm^–1) in terms of the characteristic vibrations of smaller subunits of the (200) fold (gg, gtg) and the (110) fold (ggggtg, gggg, gtg) which can be identified spectroscopcally.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. W. Pechhold on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

The effect of coating on the stiffness and toughness of encapsulated fiber composites

The effect of the coating of the fiber on the stiffness and toughness of composite materials is presented in this paper. The type of composite material considered is of a macroscopically isotropic composite medium containing coated fibers. The models used to simulate such materials consists of: the cylindrical fiber, a cylindrical annulus of the coating, an annulus of the matrix enveloped by an infinite region of an equivalent composite consisting of a transversely isotropic material and representing the real composite with dispersed coated fibers. Solutions for the longitudinal, transverse and shear elastic moduli in the four-phase model were established assuming linear elastic conditions. The results were found to depend on the extent and the mechanical properties of the coating. The stiffness and toughness of the composite were evaluated in models representing plane-stress equatorial sections of the representative volume element of the real material according to the Hashin-Rosen model. The stiffness of the fiber composites was studied by varying the rigidity and the extent of the fiber-coating in the model and evaluating its influence on the overall mechanical behavior of the model. On the other hand, the toughness of the composite was evaluated by the method of caustics in models made of composite PMMA plates with PMMA inclusions coated with a ductile annulus. Interesting results were derived concerning the influence of the soft annulus on the mechanical behavior of the composite.     

Morphology and mechanical properties of ultrahigh molecular weight polypropylene prepared by gelation/crystallization at various temperatures

Films of ultrahigh molecular weight (5.4×10⁶) polypropylene were produced by gelation/crystallization at various temperatures from dilute decalin solutions according to the method of Smith and Lemstra. The temperatures chosen were 20°, 30°, 50°, and 60°C. With increasing the temperature, the long period and crystallinity of the resultant gel film increased. By contrast, when the films were stretched up to 50 } 60 times, the increases in Young's modulus and crystallinity become more significant, as the temperature of the gelation/crystallization became lower. This interesting phenomenon is thought to be due to the dependence of the number of entanglements on the temperatures concerning gelation/crystallization and evaporation of solvent from the gel to form a film.     

Theory of ring formation in a reversible system: general solutions

The enumeration theory is extended in this work into a more general theory, taking back-reactions into consideration. The solutions may faithfully reproduce real processes from arbitrary starting points to a steady-state. Therefore, the presented theory includes the equilibrium theory by Jacobson-Stockmayer, the numerical solution by Gordon-Temple, and the irreversible theory by the present authors. The solutions are described first in general forms of transition probabilities {P}, and then explicitly with the aid of rate equations; simple proofs are given. The presented theory was applied to an experimental data: the distribution of cyclic species in poly(ethylene terephthalate). We shall show that agreement between theory and experiment is nearly perfect.AB model N ₀ Total number of units - V System volume - C ₀=N ₀/N _A ·V Initial concentration (N _A : Avogadro's number) - L _x AB type chain x-mer; (AB)_x - N _x Number of AB type x-mers - R _x Ring x-mer - N _Rx Number of ring x-mers - E Small molecule eliminated by bond-formation - N _E Number of small molecules eliminated by bond-formation - h _k Number of reacted functional units (f.u.) in statek - _k Number of reacted functional units (f.u.) in chains in statek - _k Total number of units in chains in statek - D=h _k /N ₀ Extent of reaction in statek - D ^*= _k / _k Extent of reaction in chains in statek - k _L Chain-propagation rate constant - k _Rx Cyclization rate constant of chain x-mers - k _B Bond breakage rate constant of chains - k _B,Rx Bond breakage rate constant of cyclic x-mers - <k _Rx > _k Mean cyclization rate constant in statek - g(x)=k _B,Rx /k _B Ring-opening factor of cyclic x-mers - P _Lx,k Probability that a chain x-mer will be formed in statek - {P} Set of transition probabilities per single jump in forward direction or reverse direction (see the text on individual transition probabilities) AB model M _A Total AA monomer unit number - M _B Total BB monomer unit number - M ₀=M _A +M _B Total particle number - _A,i =2M _A –h _i Unreacted A functional unit (f.u.) number in statei - _B,i =2M _B –h _i Unreacted B f.u. number in statei - _Ax Unreacted A f.u. number on x-mers - h _i Number of reacted A (or B) f.u. in statei - _i Number of reacted A (or B) f.u. in chains in statei - _A,i =2M _A –h _i + _i A f.u. number in chains in statei - _B,i =2M _B –h _i + _i B f.u. number in chains in statei - _i =2(M ₀–h _i + _i ) Total f.u. number in chains in statei - D=h _i /M ₀ Extent of reaction in statei - D _A ^* = _i / _A,i Extent of reaction of A f.u. in chains in statei - D _B ^* = _i / _B,i Extent of reaction of B f.u. in chains in statei - D ^*=2 _i / _i Extent of reaction in chains in statei - L _x (AA-BB)_x-1-AA type chain x-mer;x=1,2,3,... - L _x BB-(AA-BB)_x type chain x-mer;x=0,1,2,... - L _x (AA-BB)_x type chain x-mer;x=1,2,3,... - N _x Number of type x-mers - N _x Number of type x-mers - N _x Number of type x-mers     

Polyamide 6,6 fibers: Tensile deformation behavior and chain scission

The strain dependence of the elastic, anelastic and plastic components of deformation energy was determined by means of cyclic stress-strain experiments for a set of polyamide 6,6 fibers obtained by different processing techniques. Small angle X-ray scattering experiments revealed that the deformation of the supermolecular lattices of the fibers, consisting of crystalline lamellae and amorphous regions, was identical to the macroscopic deformation of the sample.ESR experiments showed that deformation gives rise to chain rupture events obviously occurring in the amorphous regions in all fibers above a critical strain level. The strain dependence of the free radical concentration was found to agree closely with the corresponding behavior of the plastic deformation energy. This indicates that chain rupture events influence stress-strain properties, particularly at large strains. The absolute values of the experimentally determined plastic deformation energy and of the theoretical value, however, calculated from the number and energy balance of ruptured chains, disagree strongly. Possible explanations are free radical recombinations and secondary dissipative processes resulting from chain rupture.     

An evaluation method for SAXS-patterns of fibrillar two-phase systems containing oriented particles of moderate anisotropy and short range correlation

Starting from the theoretical background of Rulands interface distributions, an evaluation method for small angle x-ray patterns arising from oriented fibrillar two-phase structures is proposed. If the fibril contains highly oriented particles with only moderate anisotropy and if the correlations between those particles within the fibril are of short range only, every axial section of the scattering pattern shows a one dimensional Porod law. A procedure of successive model confinement using the well known tools of nonlinear regression analysis is described. The result of such an analysis for the scattering pattern of an oil diluted SBS block copolymer recorded with synchrotron radiation under first-cycle stretching is reported. At=4 nm four contributions to the scattering pattern could be identified: a) fibrils containing well-defined cylinders standing upright; b) fibrils containing lying cylinders under destruction; c) stretched-out polybutadiene chains, connecting two polystyrene cylinders and causing the observable layer line pattern; and d) stretched-out polybutadiene chains looping through the neighboring PS domain and returning to their starting domain. In addition, a simple method for determining the height-to-diameter ratio of cylinders from the form factor envelope is proposed.