Effects of the type of crosslink on viscoelastic properties of natural rubber

The viscoelastic properties of various crosslinked natural rubbers, NR, were investigated by mechanical spectroscopy. The glass transition temperature, T_g, was found to be dependent on both the crosslink density and the crosslink type. Higher values of T_g were obtained for sulfur-crosslinked NR than for peroxide-crosslinked NR at the same crosslink density. The greater influence of the sulfur content on T_g may be attributed to polysulfidic crosslinks and cyclic sulfide structures favored at high sulfur contents. Sulfur-vulcanized NRs with monosulfidic crosslinks, favored at relatively high accelerator/sulfur ratios, have properties more similar to the peroxide-cured NR with simple carbon(SINGLE BOND)carbon crosslinks covalent bonds, resulting in only small shifts in T_g. A qualitative analysis of monosulfidic crosslinks and polysulfidic structures was performed with ¹³C solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The storage modulus, E′, in the rubbery plateau region increased with increasing crosslink density. However, the crosslink type did not influence the moduli values as much as it influenced the T_g values. Different methods of detecting the crosslink density were also discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The π N → e +e−N reaction close to the vector-meson production threshold

The π^? p→e ⁺ e ^? n and π⁺ n→e ⁺ e ^? p reaction cross sections are calculated below and in the vicinity of the vector-meson (?⁰,ω) production threshold. These processes are largely responsible for the emission of e ⁺e^? pairs in pion-nucleus reactions and contribute to the dilepton spectra observed in relativistic heavy ion collisions. They are dominated by the decay of low-lying baryon resonances into vector-meson-nucleon channels. The vector mesons materialize subsequently into e ⁺ e^? pairs. Using πN→?⁰ N and πN→ωN, amplitudes calculated in the center of mass energy interval 1.4 < √s<1.8 GeV, we compute the π^? p→e ⁺ e ^? n and π⁺ n→e ⁺ e ^? p reaction cross sections in these kinematics. Below the vector-meson production threshold, the π⁰?ω interference in the e ⁺ e^? channel appears largely destructive for the π^? p→e ⁺ e ^? n cross section and constructive for the π⁺ n→e ⁺ e ^? p cross section. The pion beam and the HADES detector at GSI offer a unique possibility to measure these effects. Such data would provide strong constraints on the coupling of vector-meson-nucleon channels to low-lying baryon resonances.     

Preparation and characterization of terraced surfaces of low-index faces of anatase, rutile, and brookite

Simple polishing and relatively low temperature annealing procedures for preparing atomically flat terraced surfaces of various single-crystal TiO2 polymorphs are described. Anatase (101), anatase (001), rutile (100), rutile (110), and brookite (111) surfaces could all be prepared with a terraced surface structure as revealed in AFM images. The rutile (100) and (110) and anatase (101) surfaces were also shown to produce acceptable LEED patterns immediately upon insertion into a UHV system without the usual sputter and anneal cycles.     

A CNDO/2 calculation on a complex between ethylene and chlorine

CNDO/2 calculations have been carried out for an ethylene chlorine complex, with the halogen orthogonal or parallel to the C-C bond. For comparison similar calculations were also carried out for ethylene and fluorine. The results are compared to estimates from experiments on related complexes and from Mulliken's resonance theory. It is concluded that the CNDO/2 calculations grossly overestimate the ethylene-chlorine interaction in particular if d-orbitals on chlorine are included in the AO-basis. The explanation for this may be the too high d-orbital exponent used here and the wrong asymptotic behaviour of the Slater orbitals.

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Zusammenfassung Es werden CNDO/2-Rechnungen für zwei Konformationen eines Äthylen-Chlor-Komplexes und eines Fluor-Analogens berichtet und die Resultate mit der Resonanztheorie von Mulliken und mit experimentellen Daten verglichen. Es ergibt sich, daß bei CNDO/2-Rechnungen die ChlorÄthylen-Wechselwirkung stark überschätzt wird, insbesondere, wenn d-Orbitale eingeschlossen werden. Letzteres könnte auch an einem großen Exponenten bei diesen Funktionen oder am falschen asymptotischen Verlauf von Slater-Funktionen liegen.

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Résumé Calculs CNDO/2 pour un complexe ethylène-chlore avec l'halogène orthogonal ou parallèle à la liaison C-C. A titre de comparaison des calculs analogues ont été aussi effectués pour l'éthylène et le fluor. Les résultats sont comparés à des estimations expérimentales sur des complexes voisins et à des estimations provenant de la théorie de la résonance de Mulliken. La conclusion est que les calculs CNDO/2 surestiment beaucoup l'interaction éthylène-chlore, en particulier lorsque l'on inclut des orbitales d dans la base des orbitales atomiques. La raison peut s'en trouver dans les exposants trop élevés des orbitales d et dans le mauvais comportement asymptotique des orbitales de Slater.

     

Studies on the photooxidation mechanism of polymers. I. Photolysis and photooxidation of polystyrene

A new mechanism has been proposed for the photooxidation of polystyrene as film and in benzene. The initial stage of the photooxidative degradation may involve reactions of singlet oxygen with polystyrene molecules. Singlet oxygen may be formed in the reaction between excited benzene ring in polystyrene molecule and molecular oxygen. The addition of singlet oxygen quenchers such as 1,3-cyclohexadiene or β-carotene reduces the rate of polymer degradation in benzene solution. The mechanisms of the photolysis of polystyrene as film and in benzene solution, in vacuo and in the presence of oxygen, are discussed and interpretations proposed. The pronounced yellowing of polystyrene during the photooxidation process is interpreted as a reaction involving benzene ring-opening photooxidation in polystyrene molecule. These results were obtained by comparing ultraviolet and infrared spectra in experiments of photooxidation of pure liquid benzene and polystyrene film.     

The reaction of indolizines with tetracyanoethylene

Tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) reacts with indolizines ( 1a-c ) to give mixtures of 1- and 3-sub-stituted tricyanovinylindolizines, respectively. The isomers are identified by nmr spectroscopy. The occurrence of intramolecular charge-transfer bands in the visible spectra is discussed.