The thermal properties of poly(pivalolactone)

Quantitative thermal analysis was carried out for poly-(pivalolactone) (PPVL), including heat capacity determinations from 140 to 550 K. The experimental C_p below the glass transition temperature was fitted to an approximate vibrational spectrum and the ATHAS computation scheme was used to compute the “vibration only” heat capacities from 0.1 to 1000 K. The liquid C_p was derived from an empirical addition scheme and found to agree with the experimental C_p with an RMS of ±2.8% from 240 K to 550 K. A glass transition, T_g, could be detected at 260 K, and the change in heat capacity for 100% amorphous PPVL was calculated to be 38.8 J/(K mol). Above T_g, semicrystalline samples seem to show a rigid amorphous fraction that does not contribute to the increase in heat capacity at T_g. Using the ATHAS recommended heat capacities, the various thermodynamic functions (enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs function) were derived. The residual entropy at 0 K for the amorphous PPVL was calculated to be 5.2 J/(K mol) per mobile bead, and was comparable to that obtained for a series of linear, aliphatic polyesters analyzed earlier.     

Prediction of the glass transition temperature for compatible polymer blends of varying compositions

Compatible polymer blends have been found to have widespread commercial applications. The simplest criterion for judging polymer—polymer miscibility in the solid state is the glass transition temperature (T_g), which can vary widely according to blend composition for a compatible system.Recently, an equation which predicts the T_g of intimate mixtures of compatible polymers has been derived, based on classical thermodynamics. Only a knowledge of the T_g and heat capacity increment (ΔC_p) of each pure component is required to predict the T_g at any composition.In this paper, the validity of this entropy-based relationship is investigated for a variety of commercial compatible polymer blends, including some based on poly(vinyl chloride), polystyrene, and poly(2,6-dimethyl-,4-phenylene oxide). The T_g and ΔC_p of each pure component are measured with a Perkin-Elmer DSC-2 differential scanning calorimeter, are predicted glass transition temperatures are compared with those observed experimentally.     

Glass transitions in hydrogen-bonded polymer complexes

Mutual precipitates of poly (N, N-dimethyl acrylamide) and poly (4-hydroxystyrene) were collected from dioxane, methanol, or acetone. The glass transition (T_g) temperatures of the precipitates are higher than the weight-average values. Clear films cast from dimethylformamide solutions have lower T_g values. Complexation also occurred between poly (ethyl oxazoline) and poly (4-hydroxystyrene) in dioxane and between poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) and poly (4-hydroxystyrene) in methanol. Again, the glass transition temperatures of the precipitates are higher than the values for the blend films. The ΔC_p values associated with the glass transitions of the complexes are smaller than those of the blends having the same compositions. Negative excess heat capacities of mixing have been observed for several precipitates.     

Effect of sample preparation on the glass‐transition of thin polystyrene films

We have investigated the effect of sample preparation on the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of thin films of polystyrene (PS). By preparing and measuring the glass‐transition temperature T_g of multilayered polymer films, we are able to assess the contribution of the spincoating process to the reduced T_g values often reported for thin PS films. We find that it is possible to determine a T_g even on the first heating cycle, and that by the third heating cycle (a total annealing time of 15 min at T = 393 K) the T_g value has reached a steady state. By comparing multilayered versus single layered films we find that the whole T_g depends only on the total film thickness, and not on the thickness of the individual layers. These results strongly suggest that the spincasting process does not contribute significantly to T_g reductions in thin polymer films. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4503–4507, 2004     

Analysis of packing factors of crystalline polymers in terms of the glass transition to melting temperature radio

An expression for the ratio of the glass transition temperature to the melting temperature, T _g/T _m, was derived with allowance for fluctuations of the packing factor in the amorphous state. This relationship made it possible to describe the actual range of variation in T _g/T _m depending on a change in the packing factor in the crystalline state k _{o, cr}. The proposed approach forms the basis for the method of determination of increments in the packing ratio k _{o, cr} and formulation of the principles of selection of experimental data for calculations. The glass transition temperatures in polyethylene depending on the type of unit cell were calculated.     

Determination de la capacite calorifique de quelques verres oxyazotes

Six oxygenated and oxynitrided glasses in the Ca-Si-Al-O-N system were prepared from pure lime, silica, alumina and aluminium nitride. Their enthalpies were measured by drop enthalpimetry with a Calvet calorimeter in a 100–1000° temperature range including glass transitionsT _g. Their heat capacityC _p in glassy and liquid states were deduced by derivation. TheC _p variations atT _g were calculated. The glass transition temperature were checked by differential calorimetric analysis.     

Phase- and glass-transition phenomena due to the same configurational order–disorder mechanism in crystalline racemic sec-butylcyclohexane

We report molar heat capacities for racemic sec-butylcyclohexane (s-BCH) measured by the adiabatic calorimetric method within the temperature range from 14 to 200 K. In the crystalline state, we identified the presence of a second-order phase transition and a glass transition phenomenon, both originating from the same configurational degree of freedom. The phase and glass transition temperatures T _trs and T _g were determined to be (136.7 ± 1.0) and (100 ± 1) K, respectively. The entropy of phase transition was estimated to be Δ_trs S _m = 1.4 J K^?1 mol^?1 ≈ (1/4) R ln 2. The phase transition was judged to be of an order–disorder type on the basis of the fact that the glass transition occurred in the low-temperature heat-capacity tail. The entropy was interpreted to suggest that four molecules in the crystalline state constitute a unit for producing two distinct configurations in the coexistence of (d)- and (l)-s-BCH.     

Synthesis and thermal transitions of a soluble,main chain,nematic liquid crystalline polymer exhibiting a kinetically trapped,disordered structure

An aromatic copolyester composed of 25 mol % phenyl hydroquinone, 10 mol % isophthalic acid, 40 mol % chloroterephthalic acid, and 25 mol % t-butyl hydroquinone (PICT) has been synthesized. This amorphous, glassy polymer is soluble in common organic solvents such as methylene chloride. Thin, solution-cast films may be prepared which are in a metastable, vitrified, optically isotropic state. On first heating of an isotropic film at 20°C/min in a calorimeter, one glass transition is observed at low temperature (approximately 49°C) and is ascribed to the glass/rubber transition of the metastable, isotropic polymer. This thermal event is followed by a small exotherm due to the development of order during the scan, which results in a second T_g at approximately 125°C. This T_g is associated with the glass/rubber transition of the ordered polymer. Nematic order can be developed by thermal annealing. The lower T_g increases toward the upper T_g as annealing time is increased. For an initially isotropic film annealed at 90°C, the increase of the lower T_g with annealing time and the increase in birefringence observed by optical microscopy are governed by similar kinetics. Isotropization occurs in the temperature range of 250–300°C. The nematic polymer is slightly more dense than its isotropic analog. No detectable differences between isotropic and nematic samples were observed in rotating frame proton spin lattice relaxation times. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thermal analysis of the influence of water content on glass transitions

Starch is an important natural substance in which the water content has a significant influence on its structure and properties. In the present study, the effect of the water content on glass transition temperatures T _g and heat capacities C _p of wheat, maize and potato starches were investigated by high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (temperature modulated TMDSC and conventional DSC). Thermal analysis measurements were performed on starch samples with different water contents. The exact water mass percentage of each sample was determined using the Karl-Fischer method. The obtained results show that the water content does influence the starch thermal properties in a systematic and measurable trend, the higher the water% the lower the glass transition temperature, and the higher the heat capacity jump during gelatinisation. At this stage possible interpretations of the results are just put forward and should be confirmed through complementary measurements.     

A new method for the determination of the unfrozen matrix concentration and the maximal freeze-concentration

During the freezing process, water is partially separated as ice and the solutes are concentrated in the unfrozen matrix (UFM). With further lowering of the temperature, the UFM becomes highly viscous. The high viscosity of the UFM prolongs ice formation and makes it difficult to accurately determine the glass transition (T_g′) and the concentration (C_g′) of the maximally freeze-concentrated matrix. In this study, a new method for the determination of the concentration of the UFM was developed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Sugar solutions were frozen, annealed at temperatures slightly above the expected T_g′, rapidly cooled and then heated to 20 °C. The UFM concentrations of the annealed samples were obtained by estimating the solute concentration corresponding to the T_g at the respective annealing temperature. The dependence of the T_g on experimental conditions such as the annealing time, annealing temperature and cooling rate was studied in detail. Values for C_g′ and T_g′ were obtained by linear and quadratic extrapolations of the experimental data over a short temperature and solute concentration range. The maximal freeze-concentrations of glucose, sucrose and maltose were determined to be 79.9, 80.9 and 80.3% (w/w), respectively. Results of this study were in good agreement to previously published data.     

DSC investigation of the polystyrene films filled with fullerene

Polystyrene composite films with different content of C₆₀?+?C₇₀ fullerene mix have been obtained from o-xylene solutions. The mass fraction of fullerene was varied from 0.01 to 0.1 mass%. The glass transition temperatures and specific heat capacities in range of 293?C423?K have been determined for the films by DSC method. The plasticization of the polymer is observed in thermal properties of the films under influence of small fullerene additions. The values of T _g and C _P decrease and thermal coefficient of heat capacity b increase as fullerene content increases up to 0.02 mass%. The effect of interaction between polymer and fullerene molecules on thermal properties becomes evident at higher fullerene content in range from 0.02 to 0.1 mass%. At this the values of T _g and C _P increase and b coefficient decrease with increasing content of fullerene. Concentration dependence of C _P and b values is less steep for polymer composite films in elastic state at temperatures above T _g. Molecular interactions in the composites are discussed in view of our-self and literature data.     

Thermo-mechanical properties of microfibrillated cellulose-reinforced partially crystallized PLA composites

Polylactic acid (PLA) in a crystallized state has mechanical properties at high temperatures superior to PLA in an amorphous state. However, a long annealing time is required to fully crystallize PLA. In this study, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)-reinforced partially crystallized PLA composites were produced, with the goal of reducing the time required to fabricate PLA parts. A series of PLA/MFC composites at a fiber content of 10 wt% from degree of crystallinity (Xc) 0 to 43% was obtained by annealing at 80 °C. Although the annealing time required to obtain a composite (Xc: 17%) was only around one-seventh of the 20 min needed to fully crystallize neat PLA (Xc: 41%), both materials had comparable rigidity above the glass transition temperature (T _g) and creep deformation at around T _g. These results showed that partially crystallized PLA/MFC composite can replace fully crystallized neat PLA.     

退火条件对山梨醇玻璃焓松弛参数的影响

采用差示扫描量热法(DSC)测定山梨醇样品经历不同时间(t_a)等温退火后, 以10 K·min^-1速率进行升温时玻璃化转变温度(T_g)前后的比热容(C_p(T)). 将Gómez Ribelles (GR)提出的一种基于构型熵的现象学模型用于描述山梨醇玻璃的焓松弛行为, 考察GR模型能否适用于小分子玻璃体系. 结果表明, 单组GR模型参数拟合的曲线均能较好重现对应热历史条件下的山梨醇体系的实验所得C_p(T)曲线, 尽管并未找到不随热历史而变的一组参数作为材料常数, 但与其它现象学模型应用于小分子玻璃时, 其模型参数都随热历史变化而变化的特点相比, GR模型的某些参数基本保持不变. 且在较长退火时间下拟合得到的模型参数普适性较好. 同经历连续降温的山梨醇相比, 等温退火过程得到的松弛极限态参数(δ)的平均值与T_g处比热容增量(ΔC_p(T_g))的比值明显增大, 但仍小于聚合物的值, 表明GR模型提出的亚稳极限态对小分子玻璃的影响值得商榷.     

Differential scanning calorimetry study of Ge1−xSnxSe2.5 glasses

The glass-forming tendency and specific heat in ice cold water-quenched Ge_1?xSn_xSe_2.5 glassy alloys with 0H _f, the heat ΔH _c associated with the crystallization of an amorphous phase and the glass transition temperatureT _g were deduced from the DSC curves. The composition dependence of glass forming ability,T _g and crystallization behavior has been discussed.     

Specific heat and dielectric relaxations in ultra-thin polystyrene layers

The effect of thickness on the glass transition dynamics in ultra-thin polystyrene (PS) films (4 nm < L < 60 nm) was studied by thin film ac-calorimetry, dielectric spectroscopy (DRS) and capacitive dilatometry (CD). In all PS-films, a prominent α-process was found in both the ac-calorimetric and dielectric response, indicating the existence of cooperative bulk dynamics even in films as thin as 4 nm. Glass transition temperatures (T_g) were obtained from ac-calorimetric data at 40 Hz and from capacitive dilatometry, and reveal a surprising, marginal thickness dependence T_g(L). These results, which confirm recent data by Efremov et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 91 (2003)] but oppose many previous observations, is rationalized by differences in film annealing conditions together with the fact that our techniques probe exclusively cooperative dynamics (ac-calorimetry) or allow the effective separation of surface and “bulk”-type mobility (CD). Two other observations, a significant reduction in c_p towards lower film thickness and the decrease in the contrast of the dilatometric glass transition, support the idea of a layer-like mobility profile consisting of both cooperative “bulk” dynamics and non-cooperative surface mobility.     

The effect of crystallinity and crosslinking on the depression of the glass transition temperature in nylon 6 by water

The influence of crystallinity and crosslinking on the depression of the glass transition temperature in nylon 6 by water has been investigated by dynamic mechanical methods. Radiation crosslinking by high-energy electrons was effective in preventing morphological changes during the measurement of the incremental change in heat capacity (ΔC_p) at T_g, which was performed by differential scanning calorimetry. The experimentally determined value of ΔC_p, when normalized to account for the crystalline phase, was found to deviate from a linear two-phase relation and was reduced further than would be expected based on this model. It is proposed that nylon 6 is best described by a three-phase model which consists of a crystalline domain, a wholly amorphous domain, and an “intercrystalline” region. The importance of this in explaining the relatively large depression of T_g by small quantities of water is illustrated by applying equations derived to account for the compositional dependence of T_g in polymerdiluent mixtures, based on a classical thermodynamic interpretation of the glass transition phenomenon.     

Structural investigation of polystyrene grafted and sulfonated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membranes

Structural investigation of polystyrene grafted and sulfonated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) membranes prepared by radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto commercial PTFE films and subsequent sulfonation was carried out by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The effect of the structural changes taking place in the membranes during the preparation procedure (grafting and sulfonation) and the variation of the degree of grafting on melting temperature (T_m), glass transition temperature (T_g), heat of melting (ΔH_m), and degree of crystallinity was studied. The melting temperature (T_m) was found to be independent of the degree of grafting unlike glass transition temperature (T_g), which was found to be a function of the degree of grafting. Moreover, the degree of crystallinity of the membranes was found to decrease with the increase in the degree of grafting. The results of this work suggest that grafting takes place in the entire amorphous region without any significant disruption in the crystalline structure of PTFE film and the decrease in the degree of crystallinity is mainly attributed to the dilution effect.     

Theoretical calculations of glass transition temperatures of plasticized polymers

Based on free volume, an equation has been derived enabling calculation of glass transition temperature (T_g) of plasticized polymers, knowing the plasticizer content, the thermal expansion coefficients and values of T_g of the polymer and plasticizer. Determined and calculated T_g are in satisfactory agreement up to the plasticizer concentration which dissolves the polymer.     

DYNAMIC MECHANICAL RESPONSE OF CRAZES IN POLYSTYRENE

Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to study the mechanical properties and microstructureof crazes in polystyrene produced in air or in methanol at different temperatures. A new loss peakwas found at about 82℃,which is assigned to glass transition peak of craze fibrils. The decreaseof glass transition temperature of polymer in craze fibrils is due to the high values of surface tovolume ratio. The glass transition temperature ratio of craze fibrils to bulk material (T_g~l /Tg) hasbeen expressed as a function of the fibrils diameter (d). From T_g~l of craze fibrils,the value of fibrildiameter can be calculated. Annealing the crazed specimen at room temperature makes the fibrilsplastically deform and cause the fibrils to thin slightly,whereas annealing the crazed specimen atthe temperature near T_g of the craze fibrils makes the fibrils bundle together.     

Thermal properties of freezing bound water restrained by sodium lignosulfonate-based polyurethane hydrogels

In order to develop a new functional product from lignin, sodium lignosulfonate (LS)-based polyurethane (LSPU) hydrogels were prepared from LS and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) derivatives in water. Isocyanate/hydroxyl group ratio (NCO/OH ratio) was varied from 0.05 to 0.8 mol mol⁻¹, and water content (W_c = mass of water/mass of dry sample) of the obtained LSPU hydrogels was varied from 0 to 3.0 g g⁻¹. Phase transition behavior of hydrogels with various W_c’s was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG). In DSC heating curve of LSPU hydrogels, glass transition, cold crystallization, melting and liquid crystallization were observed. Cold crystallization, two melting peaks and variation of melting enthalpy indicate that three kinds of water, i.e., non-freezing water, freezing bound water and free water, exist in LSPU hydrogel. Glass transition temperature (T_g) decreased from 230 to 190 K in a W_c range where non-freezing water was formed in the hydrogel. T_g increased when freezing bound water was formed in the system. T_g leveled off in a W_c range where normal ice was formed. The effect of NCO/OH ratio on molecular motion of LSPU hydrogel is examined based on T_g and heat capacity difference at T_g (ΔC_p). Water vaporization curve measured by TG also indicates the presence of bound water which evaporates at a temperature higher than ca. 410 K. By atomic force microscopic observation, the size of molecular bundle of LSPU hydrogel is calculated and compared with that of LS-water system. By cross-linking, the height of molecular bundle decreased from ca. 3–1 nm and lignin molecules extend in a flat structure.