Study of temperature transitions in solid poly(oxymethylene) by thermal analysis methods

Poly(oxymethylene)s with different molecular mass and chemical structure were studied using DSC, dynamic mechanical relaxation, thermomechanical analysis, and thermogravimetry.Molecular mobilities of two types were found in the amorphous phase of poly(oxymethylene). Unconstrained chains of poly(oxymethylene) soften at –70°C and then amorphous chains with different restraints from the crystalline phase are successively activated in a wide temperature interval.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthdayThis work has been supported by DuPont Company     

Thermal analysis in the synthesis and crystal formation of oxides

Vapour phase treatment at elevated temperatures with an activating agent is an effective method of synthesis and purposeful modification of amorphous and fine-grained crystalline substances. In the systems amorphous silica-quartz and amorphous Al(OH)₃ -crystalline-Al₂O₃ different forms of bound water are of prime importance. DTA, TG, DSC, NMR¹H,²⁹Si,²⁷Al, IR spectroscopy, electron- and optical microscopy methods have been used. The interaction of water molecules with the base skeleton and with hydroxide groups on the surface and in the bulk of the silica is of primary significance for modification of the silica structure. The proportion of different forms of the bound water determines the integral evaporation enthalpy of water. Various properties of silica are determined by weak bound water in the surface layer of the material. In the sequence Al(OH)₃ —-Al₂O₃ the structure transformation is observed according to the following scheme:-Al(OH)₃ —-AlOOH- -Al₂O₃, which takes place during the vapour phase treatment with activator.

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Zusammenfassung Eine Dampfphasenbehandlung bei höheren Temperaturen mit einem Aktivierungsmittel ist eine effektive Methode zur Synthese und zielgerichteten Modifizierung von amorphen und feinkörnigen kristallinen Substanzen. In den Systemen amorphes Siliziumdioxid-Quarz sowie amorphes Al(OH)₃-kristallines-Al₂O₃ hat verschiedenartig gebundenes Wasser eine primäre Bedeutung. Bei den Untersuchungen kamen DTA, TG, DSC,¹H-,²⁹Si-,²⁷Al-NMR, IR-Spektroskopie sowie Elektronen- und optische Mikroskopie zur Anwendung. Die Wechselwirkung von Wassermolekülen mit dem Grundgerüst und mit Hydroxidgruppen an der Oberfläche und im Innern von Silika ist für die Modifizierung der Silikastruktur von primärer Bedeutung. Der Anteil der verschiedenartig gebundenen Wasserformen bestimmt die vollständige Verdampfungsenthalpie des Wassers. Die verschiedenen Eigenschaften von Silika werden durch schwach gebundenes Wasser in der Oberflächenschicht der Substanz bestimmt. Die Umwandlung Al(OH)₃ —-Al₂O₃ durchläuft folgendes Schema:-Al(OH)₃--AlOOH--Al₂O₃, nach dem der Vorgang bei der Gasphasenbehandlung mit Aktivator abläuft.

     

The crystallinity of polyaryl ether ether ketone

Measurement of the degree of crystallinity of the polymer matrix in a composite is complicated by the presence of the reinforcing additive. This is particularly the case in APC-2 in which as much as 70% can be carbon fibre. A First Law procedure, developed for determining the degree of crystallinity of PEEK, which involves direct measurement of the enthalpy changes associated with melting, crystallization and heat capacity changes, has found to be an effective method for the determination of the crystallinity of the PEEK matrix. The procedure has been applied to carbon fibre and glass fibre PEEK composites.     

Synthesis of Optically Active P‐Chiral and Optically Inactive Oligophosphines

A series of optically active P‐chiral oligophosphines (S,R,R,S)‐ 2 , (S,R,S,S,R,S)‐ 3 , (S,R,S,R,R,S,R,S)‐ 4 , and (S,R,S,R,S,R,R,S,R,S,R,S)‐ 5 with four, six, eight, and 12 chiral phosphorus atoms, respectively, were successfully synthesized by a step‐by‐step oxidative‐coupling reaction from (S,S)‐ 1 . The corresponding optically inactive oligophosphines 1′ – 5′ were also prepared. Their properties were characterized by DSC, XRD, and optical‐rotation analyses. While optically active bisphosphine (S,S)‐ 1 and tetraphosphine (S,R,R,S)‐ 2 behaved as small molecules, octaphosphine (S,R,S,R,R,S,R,S)‐ 4 and dodecaphosphine (S,R,S,R,S,R,R,S,R,S,R,S)‐ 5 exhibited the features of a polymer. Furthermore, DSC and XRD analyses showed that hexaphosphine (S,R,S,S,R,S)‐ 3 is an intermediate between a small molecule and a polymer. Comparison of optically active oligophosphines 1 – 5 with the corresponding optically inactive oligophosphines 1′ – 5′ revealed that the optically active phosphines have higher crystallinity than the optically inactive counterparts. It is considered that the properties of oligophosphines depend on the enantiomeric purity as well as the oligomer chain length.     

Thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on constrained amorphous phase in poly(phenylene sulfide)

We report a thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on the amorphous phase structure of poly(phenylene sulfide), PPS, crystallized at temperatures just above the glass transition temperature. Thermal properties of Fortron PPS, having viscosity average molecular weights of 30000 to 91000, were characterized using temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). We find that while crystallinity varies little with molecular weight, the heat capacity increment at the glass transition decreases as molecular weight decreases. This leads to a smaller liquid-like amorphous phase, and a larger rigid amorphous fraction, in the lower molecular weight PPS. For all molecular weights, constrained fraction decreases as the scan rate decreases.This research is supported by the U. S. Army Research Office through contract DAAH04-96-1-0009. The authors thank Hoechst Celanese for providing different molecular weight Fortron samples and Dr. George Collins for providing sample information. The authors acknowledge the assistance of Elizabeth Oyebode and Leonardo Grimaldi with sample preparation and MDSC work.     

A DSC-Study of Donor/Acceptor Side-Chain Polymers with Flourinated Taper-Shaped Tails

It is shown that insertion in methacrylic polymers of bulky electron donor/acceptor side-groups with taper-shaped flourinated tails promotes a self-organization of the respective side-chain polymers due to the space demands of the bulky D/A side-groups, leading to a columnar hexagonal mesophase. The presence of an Lc-phase is evidenced by DSC and identified by X-ray analysis. The orientation in the respective copolymers and polymer blends is additionally improved by the CT-interaction between the D/A side-groups. An increased packing effect due to this CT-orientation effect is evidenced in DSC by an increase of the respective transition temperatures. CT-interaction is responsible as well for a preferential polymerization of monomeric D/A-complexes leading to copolymers of alternating structures and for a zip-like arrangement along the main chain of the A/D-complexes between the interacting side-groups in polymer blends. Formation of mesophases is even observed in CT-interacting blends between the Lc-D/A side-chain polymethacrylates and the respective amorphous D/A side-chain polysiloxanes.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Elastic moduli and structure of low density polyethylene

Summary Low density polyethylene film is drawn at room temperature four times the original length and subjected to thermal annealing at 60, 80, and 100 °C keeping the film length constant. Long spacing measured by SAXS increased with increasing temperature of annealing; the increase of the long spacing is presumed to be due to the decrease of the number of micelles through relaxation during the annealing. Simultaneous measurement of the changes of the long spacing and the film length by stretching is carried out and stress-extension curves are obtained. The values of the initial moduli of the long spacingE ₁ and the film lengthY are very near to each other. Elastic modulus of the crystal latticeE _c is known to be 235 GN/m² and that of the amorphous regionE _a is found to be 0.15 GN/m². When higher stress is applied than in the case of the initial modulus, the percentage of extension of film is much greater than that of the long spacing. The discrepancy is explained by the increase of the number of micelles through stress crystallization.Dedicated to Professor Dr. K. Ueberreiter on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Kalorimetrische Untersuchungen der Umwandlungskinetik von Ketten in amorphem Schwefel

The transformation of the chains in the amorphous sulphur was investigated by calorimetric method at the temperature range from 288 to 303 K. The results satisfy the equationX=1?exp [?(kt)²] (X-transformation degree,t—time,k andz—constants). It was found that thez values increasevs. the temperature The activation energy is equal toE=21 kJ/mol with standard deviation 5 kJ/mol. The results were explained on the basis of the theory of the nucleation and the growth of the nuclei.     

离子交换树脂负载Ni—B无定形合金催化剂的制备与性能

制备了一种新型离子交换树脂负载的Ｎｉ－Ｂ无定形合金催化剂．用３种树脂作为催化剂载体，即弱酸型阳离子树脂Ｄ１５２，强酸型阳离子树脂Ｄ７２及强碱型阴离子树脂Ｄ２６１．用ＸＰＳ、ＴＥＭ和ＩＣＰ等技术对催化剂进行了表征．结果表明，催化剂上镍与带有功能基的载体树脂之间有着很强的相互作用，但其强度与所带的功能基有关．３种催化剂Ｎｉ２ｐ３／２的ＸＰＳ谱图上，ＮｉＢ／Ｄ１５２催化剂的氧化态峰最小，而ＮｉＢ／Ｄ２６１的氧化态峰最大．异丙醇脱氢反应活性实验证实了这一结果．     

Morphology and degradation of biodegradable poly(L-lactide-co-β-malic acid)

Poly(L -lactide-co-β-malic acid) was obtained after the hydrogenolysis of the copolymer of L -lactide (L-LA) and β-benzyl malate (MA). ¹H-NMR demonstrated that the composition of the copolymer was identical to the feeding dose. Thermal property study revealed the morphology of the copolymer could be changed from semi-crystalline to amorphous with increasing hydrophilic β-malic acid content. The copolymers with 8 and 13 mol% β-malic acid content possessed enough mechanical property for fabricating cell scaffold. Degradation result demonstrated that most of the hydrophilic β-malic acid units broke down from the copolymer within 1 week and the ester bond between L -lactide and β-malic acid hydrolyzed prior to the inner ester bond of poly(L -lactide) (PLLA). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.