Dielectric and dynamic mechanical relaxation studies on poly(aryl ether ketone)s

The relaxation behavior of four amorphous poly(aryl ether ketone)s was investigated using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis. The temperature dependence of the relaxation times of the glass transition process and the cooperative nature of this process were unaffected by changes in polymer structure. The temperature location of the loss peaks for all polymers progressed smoothly between the low frequency of the mechanical measurements and the higher frequencies of the dielectric probe. Differences were observed in mechanical activation energy and dielectric relaxation strength for one polymer which contained a significant concentration of meta linkages, compared with the para-linked polymers, while relaxation broadness was generally greater in the dynamic mechanical mode. Changes in chemical structure had little effect on the shape, intensity, and location of the β-relaxation peak, the main observation being that the Arrhenius activation energy measured by dynamic mechanical analysis was significantly higher than that calculated from the dielectric data. The dielectric β-relaxation was sensitive to absorbed moisture. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 851–859, 1998     

Cooperative motions in PVC studied by thermally stimulated currents: Comparison with A.C. dielectric derivative analysis

The thermally stimulated current–thermal sampling (TSC–TS) technique was used to study the broadened glass transition in conventional “atactic” poly(vinyl chloride), PVC. The activated parameters obtained from the TSC–TS data, mainly the apparent activation energy (E_a), characterize the breadth of glass transitions in a very sensitive way. These results are compared with those values of E_a obtained from the literature, using a recently proposed method of analyzing a.c. dielectric constants and their derivatives, over the temperature range of −100–130°C. Both techniques detect weak cooperative glass transition-like relaxations well below the main glass transition of ca. 80°C. As is the case with “atactic” PMMA, the data suggest that compositional heterogeneity related to a small fraction of predominantly isotactic sequences contribute to the broad glass transition extending ca. 60°C below the main glass transition in atactic PVC. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 913–918, 1998     

Enthalpy relaxation in a partially cured epoxy resin

The enthalpy relaxation of a partially cured (70%) epoxy resin, derived from diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A cured by methyl-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride with accelerator, has been investigated. The key parameters of the structural relaxation (the apparent activation energy Δh*, the nonlinearity parameter x, and the nonexponentiality parameter β) are compared with those of the fully cured epoxy resin. The aging rates, characterized by the dependences of the enthalpy loss and peak temperature on log(annealing time), are greater in the partially cured epoxy than they are in the fully cured resin at an equivalent aging temperature (T_a = T_g − 20°C). There is a significant reduction in Δh*, from 1100 kJ mol⁻¹ for the fully cured system to 615 kJ mol⁻¹, as the degree of cure is reduced. The parameter x determined by the peak-shift method appears essentially independent of the degree of cure (x = 0.41 ± 0.03 for the partially cured resin compared with 0.42 ± 0.03 obtained previously for the fully cured resin), and does not follow the usually observed correlation of increasing x as Δh* decreases. This invariability of the parameter x seems to indicate that it is determined essentially by the local chemical structure of the backbone chain, and rather little by the supramolecular structure. On the other hand, the estimated nonexponentiality parameter β lies between 0.3 and 0.456, which is significantly lower than in the fully cured epoxy (β ≅ 0.5), indicative of a broadening of the distribution of relaxation times as the degree of cross-linking is reduced. Like the parameter x, this also does not follow the usual correlation with Δh*. These results are discussed in the framework of strong and fragile behavior of glass-forming systems, but it is difficult to reconcile these results in any simple way with the concept of strength and fragility. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Properties of polymer blends and triblock copolymers obtained by neutron scattering

Static and dynamic scattering properties of polymer blends and block copolymers are examined within the random phase approximation (RPA). A self-consistent theoretical scheme for a simultaneous analysis of elastic and quasielastic scattering data is presented. The case of a triblock copolymer made of an ordinary central block and two deuterated lateral blocks in a matrix of deuterated homopolymers is considered in detail. The theoretical predictions of the RPA are compared with the experimental data obtained by elastic neutron scattering experiments using mixtures of deuterated poly(dimethylsiloxane) homopolymers and copolymers made of three blocks of approximately equal sizes. The lateral blocks are deuterated poly(dimethylsiloxane) and the central one is an ordinary poly(dimethylsiloxane). A good agreement is found in the whole range of wavevectors covered by the experiments. An extension of the RPA to the analysis of the dynamical scattering data for the same systems is put forward. It is shown how the time relaxations of the bare response functions obtained from the single chain dynamics are used to extract the intermediate scattering function characterizing the system of interacting chains. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structure and dynamics of MG rubber studied by dynamic mechanical analysis and solid‐state NMR

Methyl‐methacrylate‐grafted natural rubber was prepared by free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in natural rubber latex, and their structure and dynamics were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis and solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Samples were prepared by chemical initiation and high‐energy radiation. The changes of glass transition temperature and tan δ max with different total poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA) content are reported. The effect of the change in composition in copolymers on tan δ peak width, tan δ max, and area under the tan δ curve are used to understand the miscibility and damping properties. Solid‐state ¹³C‐NMR measurements were carried out to determine several relaxation time parameters, such as rotating frame and laboratory frame proton and carbon relaxation times. Cross polarization times and carbon relaxation times were interpreted based on the changes in the molecular motion. Proton relaxation times were interpreted based on the heterogeneity of the matrix. Results confirmed phase separation and a presence of an interfacial region. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1141–1153, 1999     

Characterization and degradation of the poly(methylphenylsiloxane)–poly(methyl methacrylate) graft copolymer

Poly(methylphenylsiloxane)–poly(methyl methacrylate) graft copolymers (PSXE-g-PMMA) were prepared by condensation reaction of poly(methylphenylsiloxane)-containing epoxy resin (PSXE) with carboxyl-terminated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and they were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), infrared (IR), and ²⁹Si and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The microstructure of the PSXE-g-PMMA graft copolymer was investigated by proton spin–spin relaxation T₂ measurements. The thermal stability and apparent activation energy for thermal degradation of these copolymers were studied by thermogravimetry and compared with unmodified PMMA. The incorporation of poly(methylphenylsiloxane) segments in graft copolymers improved thermal stability of PMMA and enhanced the activation energy for thermal degradation of PMMA. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2521–2530, 1998     

Thermoelastic Behaviour of Amorphous Polymers Above and Through the Glass Transition Interval I. Polystyrene

The thermoelastic behaviour of an unfractionated polystyrene was studied in the temperature interval 353–453 K in the regimes of isobaric cooling and of isothermal quasi-adiabatic loading, respectively. The main experimental results can be summarized as follows. 1. In the temperature interval far above the glass transition temperature T_g, both the temperature and volume relaxations of the polystyrene melt after sudden pressure jumps were completely reversible and proved to be simple exponential functions of the time. Therefore, by a straightforward application of Eqs (1) and (2) to the relevant thermoelastic data obtained in a single experimental run one can arrive at the reasonable values of the specific volume, specific heat capacity, thermal diffusivity and heat conductivity of the polymer in the equilibrium melt state. 2. In the temperature interval close to T_g, both the temperature and volume relations of the supercooled polystyrene melt in compression/expansion cycles became markedly asymmetric and non-exponential. The low values of the exponent β in the fractional-exponent Eq. (5) for the volume relaxation suggest a broad spectrum of relaxation times indicating the high degree of coupling between different mechanisms of the molecular motions involved. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

交联网络和浓溶液中高分子链运动的NMR研究Ⅲ.质子自旋-晶格弛豫时间与凝胶和浓溶液体系中高分子链段的运动

用自旋－晶格弛豫时间（Ｔ１）研究了溶胀的交联聚丙烯酰胺－丙烯酸网络和线型聚苯乙烯溶液中质子的弛豫行为。交联网络中，随着交联度增大，Ｔ１ＣＨ／Ｔ１ＣＨ２的值由１．１７逐渐趋近于１；而线型聚苯乙烯溶液中，Ｔ１ＣＨ／Ｔ１ＣＨ２的值由最稀浓度下的１．７过渡到１。说明在交联网络中，交联度很低时，链段的运动已经相当受约束；但交联度很大时，充分溶胀的交联网络中链段运动仍有一定自由度。而在线型高分子浓溶液中，链段的运动严重受阻，导致自旋扩散效应非常完全，彻底平均掉了各质子间Ｔ１时间的差异。     

尼龙1010／6及尼龙1010／66动态力学分析

通过动态力学参数温度谱,研究了尼龙１０１０／６、尼龙１０１０／６６两个共聚物系列的动态力学参数与组成的关系。研究表明尼龙１０１０／６、尼龙１０１０／６６在测试温度范围内出现三个明显的松驰转变：α、β、γ,其中各共聚物的β、γ松驰温度相差不大,而α松驰温度随组成改变有明显改变。一般均聚物的α松驰温度较高,共聚物的α松驰温度均低于均聚物,二个系列以尼龙１０１０／６（２９．８／７０．２）、尼龙１０１０／