Rayleigh-brillouin spectroscopy of syndiotactic poly(n-butyl methacrylate) near the glass transition

We present Rayleigh-Brillouin light scattering data of highly syndiotactic poly(n-butyl methacrylate) [PBMA] whose glass transition temperature as measured by DSC is 55°C. The Brillouin peak shifts, Brillouin peak widths, and Landau-Placzek ratios from ?15 to 130°C are reported. The Brillouin peak widths decrease continuously through the glass transition region. This indicates a continual decrease in the strength of processes whose relaxation times are about 10^?10 s with decreasing temperature even as the system becomes glassy. The Landau-Placzek ratio above the glass transition is about 3, indicating the high optical purity of our sample. This low Landau-Placzek ratio arises from the sample's homogeneous stereochemistry. Some of the anomalous behavior observed around 40–50°C in previous PBMA studies is explained in terms of syndiotactic regions within a largely atactic sample.     

Photon correlation spectroscopy of bulk poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) near the glass transition

Slowly relaxing longitudinal density fluctuations in an optically perfect sample of bulk poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) (PHMA) have been studied by photon correlation spectroscopy in the temperature range 10–36°C. The glass transition temperature for this sample was measured to be T_g = −3°C by differential scanning calorimetry. The optical purity of the sample was verified by Rayleigh-Brillouin spectroscopy and the Landau-Placzek ratio was observed to be 2.3 at 25°C. Light-scattering relaxation functions were obtained over the time range 10⁻⁶-1 s. The shape of the relaxation functions broadened as the temperature was lowered towards the glass transition. Quantitative analysis of the results was carried out using the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts (KWW) function to obtain average relaxation times, 〈τ〉, and width parameters, β. The width parameter decreased from 0.43 to 0.21 over the temperature interval, as suggested by visual inspection. Average relaxation times shifted with temperature in a manner consistent with previous mechanical studies of the primary glass-rubber relaxation in PHMA. The relaxation functions were also analyzed in terms of a distribution of relaxation rates, G(Γ). The calculated distributions were unimodal at all temperatures. The average relaxation times obtained from G(Γ) were in agreement with the KWW analysis, and the shape of the distribution broadened as the sample was cooled. The rate at which G(Γ) displayed a maximum correlated well with the corresponding frequency of maximum dielectric loss for PHMA. The temperature dependence of these two quantities could be reproduced with an Arrhenius activation energy of 21 Kcal/mol. A consistent picture of the molecular dynamics of PHMA near the glass transition requires a strong secondary relaxation process with a different temperature dependence from the primary glass-rubber relaxation. The present results suggest that the behavior of PHMA is similar to the other poly(alkyl methacrylates). © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Evidence of two relaxation processes in the photon correlation spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate) above Tg

Photon correlation functions of a high-molecular-weight PMMA (M_w = 1.06 × 10⁷, M_n = 2.2 × 10⁶, T_g = 103°C) have been studied in the temperature range 98 ? 149°C. In contrast to previous results, two relaxation modes are observed in relaxation functions. The observed relaxation functions of PMMA are analyzed for the first time in terms of a continuous spectrum representing the distribution of retardation times. Using a modified computer program originally developed by Provencher, we have computed the spectrum of retardation times at various temperatures. The appearance of two distinct relaxation modes is clearly evident in the distribution of the retardation times and in the time correlation functions below 123°C.     

Dielectric and Viscoelastic Behavior of Poly-(n-Butyl Methacrylate) Containing Cholesteric Compounds

Dielectric and dynamic mechanical behavior of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) containing small concentrations of cholesteryl chloride (ChCl), cholesteryl caprylate (ChCp), and cholesteryl laurate (ChL) have been studied in the temperature range -20 to 80°C. Tan αmax (dielectric and mechanical) in all systems containing an additive shifts to lower temperature compared to that in pure PBMA. In the glassy region, the dynamic storage modulus E′ for all the PBMA plus additive systems is higher than that for pure PBMA. This behavior is similar to the β-peak suppression and the increase in tensile strength of poly(vinyl chloride) on addition of a small concentration of plasticizer. Using the WLF equation with C₁ and C₂ obtained from the data on pure PBMA, the reference temperature T_o for PBMA plus additive systems are determined for the best fit of the experimental points to the WLF curve and are in agreement with measured glass-transition temperatures. With respect to T_o of pure PBMA, the T_o of PBMA plus additive systems are lowered, and the lowering due to these additives is in the order ChL < ChCp < ChCl. From spectrophotometric studies in solutions of polymer plus additives, equilibrium constants for the 1:1 and 1:2 complexes between the polymer and the additive are evaluated. The magnitude of the equilibrium constant K₁ increases in the order ChL > ChCp > ChCl, and hence it is concluded that the extent of β-peak suppression depends on the strength of polymer-additive interaction.     

New insight into dynamic mechanical relaxation in N-butyl-N-(2-nitroxy-ethyl) nitramine plasticized nitrocellulose through molecular dynamic simulations

We performed dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) on nitrocellulose (NC) plasticized by an insensitive plasticizer N-butyl-N-(2-nitroxy-ethyl)nitramine (Bu-NENA). NC/Bu-NENA blend shows two mechanical relaxation processes in the temperature ranges of???50 to???40 °C and 30?~?40 °C, and their variations with deformation frequencies were studied. To explore further the effect of temperature on relaxation, the binary mixture model of NC/Bu-NENA was constructed, and molecular dynamic simulations were conducted. The simulated mean square displacements (MSD) show abrupt increase in the temperature range of???50 to???40 °C and 30?~?40 °C, which are consistent with those of the two relaxation processes observed in the DMA curves. Moreover, the free volume (V_free) and torsion energy obtained from molecular dynamic simulations exhibit distinct increase at the temperature above 30 °C and???50 °C respectively, reflecting the sudden enhancements on the mobility of polymer chain elements and the rotation of molecular bonds. Furthermore, the radial distribution function (RDF) associated with the intermolecular interactions reveals that the intensities of both hydrogen bond and van der Waals forces decrease with the increase of temperature, which is responsible for the decrease of storage modulus at high temperature. These computational and experimental studies reveal guidance to strengthening the NC base propellants in broad temperature range.

     

Physical aging studies in epoxy resins. I. Kinetics of the enthalpy relaxation process in a fully cured epoxy resin

The physical aging of an epoxy resin based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A cured by a hardener derived from phthalic anhydride has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The isothermal curing of the epoxy resin was carried out in one step at 130°C for 8 h, obtaining a fully cured resin whose glass transition was at 98.9°C. Samples were aged at temperatures between 50 and 100°C for periods of time from 15 min to a maximum of 1680 h. The extent of physical aging has been measured by the area of the endothermic peak which appears below and within the glass transition region. The enthalpy relaxation was found to increase gradually with aging time to a limiting value where structural equilibrium is reached. However, this structural equilibrium was reached experimentally only at an aging temperature of T_g-10°C. The kinetics of enthalpy relaxation was analysed in terms of the effective relaxation time τ_eff. The rate of relaxation of the system given by 1/τ_eff decreases as the system approaches equilibrium, as the enthalpy relaxation tends to its limiting value. Single phenomenological approaches were applied to enthalpy relaxation data. Assuming a separate dependence of temperature and structure on τ, three characteristic parameters of the enthalpic relaxation process were obtained (In A = ?333, E_H = 1020 kJ/mol, C = 2.1 g/J). Comparisons with experimental data show some discrepancies at aging temperatures of 50 and 60°C, where sub-T_g peaks appears. These discrepancies probably arise from the fact that the model assumes a single relaxation time. A better fit to aging data was obtained when a Williams-Watts function was applied. The values of the nonexponential parameter β were slightly dependent on temperature, and the characteristic time was found to decrease with temperature. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Physical aging of an amorphous polyimide: Enthalpy relaxation and mechanical property changes

The physical aging behavior of an isotropic amorphous polyimide possessing a glass transition temperature of approximately 239°C was investigated for aging temperatures ranging from 174 to 224°C. Enthalpy recovery was evaluated as a function of aging time following sub‐T_g annealing in order to assess enthalpy relaxation rates, and time‐aging time superposition was employed in order to quantify mechanical aging rates from creep compliance measurements. With the exception of aging rates obtained for aging temperatures close to T_g, the enthalpy relaxation rates exhibited a significant decline with decreasing aging temperature while the creep compliance aging rates remained relatively unchanged with respect to aging temperature. Evidence suggests distinctly different relaxation time responses for enthalpy relaxation and mechanical creep changes during aging. The frequency dependence of dynamic mechanical response was probed as a function of time during isothermal aging, and failure of time‐aging time superposition was evident from the resulting data. Compared to the creep compliance testing, the dynamic mechanical analysis probed the shorter time portion of the relaxation response which involved the additional contribution of a secondary relaxation, thus leading to failure of superposition. Room temperature stress‐strain behavior was also monitored after aging at 204°C, with the result that no discernible embrittlement due to physical aging was detected despite aging‐induced increases in yield stress and modulus. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1931–1946, 1999     

Pulsed NMR study of molecular motion in the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A cured with 4,4′-methylenedianiline

The monomeric diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A cured with methylenedianiline has been studied by pulsed NMR. Values of the proton relaxation times T₁, T_1p, and T₂ have been measured over the temperature range ?160 to 200°C. The system was studied after being fully postcured at 180°C and after being cured at 100°C and at 54°C. The relaxation times are interpreted in terms of molecular motion in the cured resins, i.e., methyl group reorientation, segmental motions, and general molecular motion. The results are compared with those obtained previously by us for the uncured resin. Correlation frequencies for the segmental motions are compared with those obtained from dielectric relaxation and mechanical loss studies. There are at least two principal segmental motions present in the cured system, and the nature of these motions is found to depend on the cure temperature. These effects are discussed in terms of crosslinking and annealing of the system.     

Morphology of micron-sized monodispersed poly(butyl methacrylate)/polystyrene composite particles produced by seeded dispersion polymerization

In order to develop the seeded dispersion polymerization technique for the production of micron-sized monodispersed core/shell composite polymer particles the effect of polymerization temperature on the core/shell morphology was examined. Micron-sized monodispersed composite particles were produced by seeded dispersion polymerizations of styrene with about 1.4-μm-sized monodispersed poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (Pn-BMA) and poly(i-butyl methacrylate) (Pi-BMA) particles in a methanol/water (4/1, w/w) medium in the temperature range from 20 to 90 °C. The composite particles, PBMA/polystyrene (PS) (2/1, w/w), consisting of a PBMA core and a PS shell were produced with 2,2′-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethyl valeronitrile) initiator at 30 °C for Pn-BMA seed and with 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) initiator at 60 °C for Pi-BMA seed. The polymerization temperatures were a little above the glass-transition temperatures (T _g) of both Pn-BMA (20 °C) and Pi-BMA (40 °C). On the other hand, when the seeded dispersion polymerizations were carried out at much higher temperatures than the T _g of the seed polymers, composite particles having a polymeric oil-in-oil structure were produced. Received: 14 October 1998 Accepted in revised form: 2 June 1999     

Physical aging of poly(ether sulfone)-modified epoxy resin

The physical aging process of 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) cured diglycidyl ether bisphenol-A (DGEBA) blended with poly(ether sulfone) (PES) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at four aging temperatures between T_g-50°C and T_g-10°C. At aging temperatures between T_g-50 and T_g-30°C, the experimental results of epoxy resin blended with 20 wt% of PES showed two enthalpy relaxation processes. One relaxation process was due to the physical aging of PES, the other relaxation process was due to the physical aging of epoxy resin. The distribution of enthalpy relaxation process due to physical aging of epoxy resin in the blend was broader and the characteristic relaxation time shorter than those of pure epoxy resin at the above aging temperatures (between T_g-50 and T_g-30°C). At an aging temperature between T_g-30 and T_g-10°C, only one enthalpy relaxation process was found for the epoxy resin blended with PES, the relaxation process was similar to that of pure epoxy resin. The enthalpy relaxation process due to the physical aging of PES in the epoxy matrix was similar to that of pure PES at aging temperatures between T_g-50 and T_g-10°C. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polymer diffusion in latex films at ambient temperature

Polymer diffusion across interfaces at room temperature (21°C) was analyzed by direct nonradiative energy transfer (DET) in labeled latex films. Two modellatex polymers were examined: poly(butyl methacrylate) [PBMA, M_w = 3.5 × 10⁴, T_g (dry) = 21°C] and a copolymer of 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate with 10 wt % (acetoacetoxy)-ethyl methacrylate [P(EHMA-co-AAEM), M_w = 4.8 × 10⁴, T_g (dry) = −7°C]. Little energy transfer due to polymer diffusion was detected for the P(EHMA-co-AAEM) latex samples in the dispersed state or dried to solids content below ca. 90%, but above 90% solids, diffusion occurs among particles. For PBMA, diffusion occurs only after the film is dried (>97% solids) and aged. In the dry PBMA films, it requires 4–5 days at 21°C to reach a significant extent of mixing (f_m = 0.3–0.4). This corresponds to an estimated penetration depth d_app of 30–40 nm and a mean apparent diffusion coefficient (D_app) of 5 × 10⁻⁴ nm²/s. The corresponding D_app value for the dry P(EHMA-co-AAEM) sample is 5 × 10⁻² nm²/s, and it takes about 25–40 min for this polymer to reach f_m of 0.3–0.4 with d_app of 20–30 nm. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1129–1139, 1998     

Vibrational excitation of deuterium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride by atomic and diatomic species

The vibrational excitation of HF and DF and the energy transfer efficiencies for various collision partners were investigated over the temperature and pressure ranges of 1400°K to 4100°K and 0.1 to 0.3 atm, respectively. The extent of excitation was determined as a function of time by continuously monitoring the infrared emission intensity at the center of the 1–0 vibration-rotation band of the molecule. Collisional efficiencies of HF, N₂, O₂, F, Cl, and DF in relaxing HF and of DF, HF, and N₂ in relaxing DF are reported. A comparison with relaxation data for pure HF taken at lower temperature suggests that long-range attractive forces are mechanistically of major importance in the relaxation process. The relatively high efficiency of atomic chlorine in relaxing HF, i.e., (τP)_HF–HF/(τP)_HF–C1 ≥ 5 at 3000°K is discussed in terms of our previous result for atomic fluorine, i.e., (τP)_HF–HF/(τP)_HF–F = 18.     

Viscoelasticity of oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Time–temperature superposition can be successfully applied to both the stress relaxation and dynamic mechanical properties of oriented PET fibers. Two curves result; one is the time dependence of the modulus at constant temperature, while the other is the shift, log aT, of this curve along the time scale as a function of temperature. This temperature dependence is less than that for both unoriented PET and typical amorphous polymers above T_g. It is about the same as that for oriented nylon 66 and unoriented glassy poly(methyl methacrylate). The isothermal modulus has the same time dependence as that of the unoriented PET; however, it is a factor of 3.3 larger. The modulus curve is almost identical in both shape and magnitude with that of oriented nylon 66. However, a temperature of 82°C. is required to place the viscoelastic dispersion region of PET at the same time scale as nylon 66 at 25°C. This temperature increase is the major difference in viscoelasticity between these two oriented polymers.     

Thermostimulated depolarization currents and thermoelectret effects in poly(methyl methacrylate)

The electrical dipole relaxation in PMMA has been studied by measuring thermostimulated depolarizing currents. A master curve for the segmental component of the dielectric constant has been constructed. The increment of the dielectric permittivity due to the α-relaxation has been determined. The distribution function of the relaxation times and the average relaxation times in the region from 70°C up to T_g = 105°C have been obtained. A way of describing the electret properties of the polymer is discussed.     

Effect of crosslink density on the pressure relaxation response of polycyanurate networks

The effect of crosslink density on the pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) behavior and on the pressure relaxation response for two polycyanurate networks is investigated using a custom-built pressurizable dilatometer. Isobaric cooling measurements were made to obtain the pressure-dependent glass transition temperature (T_g). The pressure relaxation studies were carried out as a function of time after volume jumps at temperatures in the vicinity of the pressure-dependent T_g, and the pressure relaxation curves obtained were shifted to construct master curves by time-temperature superposition. The reduced pressure relaxation curves are found to be identical in shape and placement, independent of crosslink density, when T_g is used as the reference temperature. The horizontal shift factors used to create the master curves are plotted as a function of the temperature departure from T_g (T − T_g), and they agree well with their counterparts obtained from the shear response. Moreover, the retardation spectra are derived from bulk compliance and compared to those from the shear. The results, similar to our previous work on polystyrene, indicate that at short times, the bulk and shear responses have similar underlying molecular mechanisms; however, the long-time mechanisms available to the shear response, which increase with decreasing crosslink density, are unavailable to the bulk response. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2477–2486, 2009     

Evidence for the γ‐relaxation in the light scattering spectra of poly (n‐hexyl methacrylate) near the glass transition

The full range of relaxation processes present in optically pure poly‐(n‐hexyl methacrylate) (PHMA) was studied using Rayleigh–Brillouin and photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). Brillouin shifts, linewidths, and Landau–Placzek ratios (LPR) were measured over the temperature range from ?11 to 21 °C. The Brillouin splitting and linewidth were consistent with previous studies of PHMA, but the LPR was much lower, indicating that the scattered light primarily comes from intrinsic density fluctuations. Relaxation functions of the same PHMA sample were measured using PCS over the temperature range 0.5–52.5 °C. The average relaxation times calculated from a Williams–Watts fit follow a VFT temperature dependence, with the stretching parameter β decreasing with decreasing temperature. The distribution of relaxation times reveals a merging of the α and β‐relaxations over this temperature range, and the temperature dependent width confirms that there are at least two processes with separate temperature dependences. Furthermore, there appears a process at short times in the correlation function window at low temperatures. This upturn at the fastest relaxation times is attributed to the γ‐relaxation present in higher order methacrylate polymers. The effect of the γ‐relaxation is discussed in terms of the dynamic behavior over 12 decades in time. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1504–1519, 2005     

Free volume quantities and viscoelasticity of polymer glasses

We have investigated, in terms of the Cohen-Turnbull theory, a relationship for polycarbonate (PC) glasses between average stress relaxation times, <to, and average free volume sizes, 〈v_f〉, obtained from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. This examination suggests that the minimum free volume required for stress relaxation, v*, decreases with decreasing temperature and that, near the glass transition temperature, only a subset of extremely large free volume elements contributes to the stress relaxation of PC glasses. This suggestion is consistent with the idea that near the glass transition temperature, the viscoelastic response is dominated by large-scale, main-chain motion, whereas at lower temperature it is controlled by local motion. Moreover, comparison with the v* value estimated from gas diffusivity through various PC species at room temperature shows that the required free volume size for stress relaxation in the glass transition region is much larger than that for gas diffusion. Previously we showed that the Doolittle equation fails to correlate viscoelastic relaxation times of polymer glasses with changing temperature; determining the free volume fraction, h, from theoretical analysis of volume recovery data and theory, the Doolittle equation is shown to be valid in PC above 135°C (T_g - 14°C) irrespective of temperature and physical aging times. This result supports the idea suggested in the previous article that, as glassy polymers approach the transition region, viscoelastic properties increasingly tend to be controlled by free volume. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Brillouin scattering from amorphous bisphenol-A polycarbonate

Brillouin scattering has been studied from amorphous bisphenol-A polycarbonate in the temperature interval 60–240°C. Both longitudinal and transverse Brillouin peaks are observed over the entire range. The behavior of both types of Brillouin splittings, Δω_l and Δω_t, in the region of the glass–rubber relaxation is typical of an amorphous polymer. Equilibrium values of Δω_l and Δω_t were obtained 20°C below the glass-transition temperature T_g determined at cooling rates of 20°C/hr. Comparison of the present results with previous ultrasonic data reveals a considerable dispersion in the longitudinal phonon velocity below T_g. The origin of the large transverse Brillouin intensities is related to the structure of polycarbonate.     

Effect of anisotropic deformation on the differential scanning calorimetry response of polymer glasses

Large anisotropic deformation affects the physical state of a polymer glass, where the changes in the state of material are revealed by performing a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiment. Previously, the deformation was applied to polymers well below their glass transition temperatures, and it was found that uniaxial compressive loading–unloading resulted in a broad exothermic peak on the DSC trace. Here we report on the effect on the subsequent DSC response of a deformation experiment performed in uniaxial extension on a ductile 50:50 co-polymer poly(BMA-co-MMA) (PBMA/MMA). The deformation of up to 80% strain was applied at T_g − 30°C and T_g − 40°C, that is, closer to T_g than in the previous work. Unlike in the well below T_g deformation case, the DSC trace contains an endothermic peak followed by an exothermic peak. The magnitude of the endothermic peak as well as the asymptotic glassy heat capacity increase with the amount of mechanical work performed during the deformation cycle.     

Carbon-13 NMR spin-lattice relaxation times of isotactic and syndiotactic sequences in amorphous polypropylene

Spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁) for methyl, methylene, and methine carbons in an amorphous polypropylene have been measured as a function of temperature from 46 to 138°C. The carbons from isotactic sequences characteristically exhibited the longest T₁'s of those observed. The T₁ differences increased with temperature with the largest difference occuring for methine carbons where a 32% difference was observed. Activation energies were determined for the motional processes affecting T₁'s for isotactic and syndiotactic sequences with essentially no dependence upon configuration noted.