Physical aging of polycarbonate investigated by dynamic viscoelasticity

The physical aging of polycarbonate was investigated with dynamic viscoelastic measurements. Physical aging was observed for samples aged at 110 °C (QA) and room temperature (QP) after being quenched from the molten state. The shapes of the temperature dispersion curves of the dynamic viscoelastic functions (E′, E″, and tan δ) of the QA and QP samples changed with aging time in a temperature range below the glass‐transition temperature (T_g). However, at temperatures close to but below T_g, the curves for the aged samples merged into the curve of the quenched sample at a temperature denoted T_H. T_H increased with aging time. The experimental results suggest that the aged sample has a memory of having been quenched and that as the sample approaches the equilibrium state, this memory is lost. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms showed an endothermic peak below T_g for the QA samples. The peak temperature (T_p) also increased with aging time. T_H and T_p of the QA samples were approximately the same. The increase of both T_H and T_p with aging time indicates that the structure of the polymeric chain in the glassy state relaxes over larger segment scale lengths because the scale of the movable segments is related to temperature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 337–341, 2001     

Steric hindrance effects on dielectric relaxation and polymerization kinetics of a monoamine–triepoxide mixture,thermochemistry, and diffusion control

Calorimetry and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy during the growth of a polymer network in the stoichiometric mixture of a triepoxide with 4-chloroaniline have been performed in separate experiments to investigate the increase in the relaxation time with the number of covalent bonds. A comparison with the corresponding study of triepoxide–aniline and triepoxide–3-chloroaniline mixtures shows that steric hindrance of the amine group by chlorine slows the molecular dynamics and the relaxation time of the state containing a fixed number of bonds. The polymerization kinetics measured during ramp heating does not yield a reliable activation energy. A recent empirical relation between the relaxation time and the extent of polymerization, and the condition for the onset of diffusion-control kinetics have been examined using the data for these three polymerizing mixtures. The results show substantial deviations from the empirical relation and appear to conflict with our basic understanding of the polymerization process. It is shown mathematically that features attributed to the onset of diffusion-controlled kinetics can arise from thermochemical behavior alone, without reference to the molecular dynamics. An earlier theory for the change in the kinetics of an addition reaction from mass control to diffusion control has been considered, and is seen as relevant to the polymerization reactions. It is argued that the dielectric relaxation rate does not directly indicate the chemical reaction rate because the reorientational motion of the dipolar entities may not be coupled to the rotational and translational diffusion that brings the sterically hindered chemically reacting sites together. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 2703–2716, 1998     

Isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(ethylene terephthalate) in blends with a liquid crystalline polyester (Vectra A)

The isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in blends with a fully aromatic liquid crystalline copolyester (Vectra A) were studied with differential scanning calorimetry. PET crystallization rates decreases with increasing Vectra fractions in the blends, and the percentage of PET that is crystalline also decreases with increasing Vectra. The equilibrium PET melting temperature for blends containing 40% or more Vectra is unambiguously below that of pure PET. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements indicate that PET/Vectra transesterification does not take place. The results are consistent with a scenario based on prior NMR data in which there is some interphase mixing between the liquid crystalline and flexible polymers and an increase in the fraction of gauche conformers in the PET.     

Radiation polymerization of alkyl methacrylates in polymer–monomer compositions

This work summarizes the results of a study of the mechanism of polymerization in monomer-polymer compositions initiated by ionizing radiation. Attention was mainly paid to the investigation of the polymerization directly in the γ-radiation field. The next monomers were chosen for monomer-polymer compositions: heptyl acrylate (HA), heptyl methacrylate (HMA) and some other acrylic and methacrylic monomers. The polymer components are: chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) (molecular mass M_n ≅ 1 × 10⁵), chlorinated paraffins (CP) (molecular mass M_r ≅ 450), butadiene-nitrile rubber BN-1 (molecular mass M_w ≅ 3 × 10⁵) and BN-2 (molecular mass M_w ≅ 2500). Compositions that are crosslinked (BN-1+HMA, BN-2+HMA, CPE+HA) and noncrosslinked under γ-radiation were specially selected. The dynamic of radiation polymerization in the system studied was measured by calorimetric technique. A calorimeter was situated directly in the zone of γ-ray₆₀ Co. The dynamic of polymerization was followed by the heat release rate recorded by the calorimeter. Viscosity of the systems was measured on a rotational viscosimeter REOTEST-2 at room temperature. The investigations carried out have allowed us to establish the kinetic regularities of the radiation polymerization processes in the crosslinking and noncrosslinking compositions under irradiation based on HMA and some polymers. A comparison of the main characteristic of these processes was also made. The employment of the crosslinking and noncrosslinking polymers in the compositions significantly changes the radiation polymerization dynamics and allows the construction of the composites at the molecular level to be changed. The results obtained may serve as a basis for choosing the optimal system for producing-radiation-cured monomer-polymer compositions.     

EVA-layered double hydroxide (nano)composites: Mechanism of fire retardancy

Composites of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer with two different layered double hydroxides have been obtained by melt blending and these have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, thermogravimetric analysis connected to mass spectroscopy and cone calorimetry. There is some small difference in dispersion between the zinc-containing and the magnesium-containing layered double hydroxides in EVA, but both these are microcomposites with good dispersion at the micrometer level and relatively poor dispersion at the nanometer level. There is a good reduction in the peak heat release rate at 10% LDH loading. In addition to chain stripping, which involves the simultaneous loss of both acetate and a hydrogen atom, forming acetic acid, and the formation of poly(ethylene-co-acetylene), side chain fragmentation of the acetate group also occurs and may be the dominant pathway of thermal degradation in the first step. The presence of the LDH causes acetone, rather than acetic acid, to be evolved in the initial step of the degradation.     

Amorphous to crystalline phase transition in glassy Se65Te20Ag15 alloy

In the present work, the amorphous to crystalline phase transition of chalcogenide glass Se₆₅Te₂₀Ag₁₅ has been studied using differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) measurements. The heating rate dependence of crystallization peaks has been used for the determination of activation energies of glass transition (E _g) and crystallization (E _c). Different non-isothermal methods have been used for this purpose. Other useful kinetic parameters such as the order parameter (n), the numerical factor of crystallization mechanism (m) and the frequency factor (K _o) of the rate constant (K) have been also determined.     

Metal-induced effects on the glass transition kinetics of glassy Se70Te30 alloy

The calorimetric measurements have been made in glassy Se₇₀Te₃₀ and Se₇₀Te₂₈M₂ (M?=?Ag, Cd, and Zn) alloys using non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry technique to see the effects of Ag, Cd, and Zn additives on the glass transition kinetics of binary Se₇₀Te₃₀. From the heating rate dependence of glass transition temperature, T _g, different kinetic parameters of glass transition have been evaluated. The composition dependence of glass transition temperature T _g and the related activation energy (E_t ) is also discussed.     

Isothermal Crystallization and Subsequent Melting Behavior of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Silica Nanocomposites

The crystallization process of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/silica nanocomposites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and then analyzed using the Avrami method. The results indicated that the crystallization of pure poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was fitted for thermal nucleation and three‐dimensional spherical growth throughout the whole process, whereas the crystallization of PET/silica nanocomposites exhibits two stages. The first stage corresponds to athermal nucleation and three‐dimensional spherical growth, and the second stage corresponds to recrystallization caused by the earlier spherulites impingement. The crystallization rate increases remarkably and the activation energies decrease considerably when silica nanoparticles are added. The subsequent melting behavior of the crystallized samples shows that the melting point (T _m) of nanocomposites is higher than that of pure PET, which might be caused by two factors: (1) The higher melting point might be due to some hindrance to the PET chains caused by the nanoparticles at the beginning of the melting process; (2) it might also be the case that more perfect crystals can be formed due to the higher crystallization temperatures and lower activation energies of PET/silica nanocomposites.     

Thermal and Structural Behaviors of Polypropylene Nanocomposites Reinforced with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Melt Processing Method

In this work, polypropylene (PP) matrix reinforced with several single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) concentrations were prepared by a melt-mixing method. The effect of SWNTs on the thermal degradation behavior of polypropylene was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis. The results revealed that adding the SWNTs into the PP can increase the decomposition temperature. The results obtained from differential scanning calorimetry showed that incorporating SWNTs reduced the crystallinity but increased the crystallization temperature of the PP. The mechanical measurements showed that the tensile modulus of the nanocomposite was greatly enhanced to 882 MPa, compared to 485 MPa for pristine PP. For wide-angle X-ray diffraction tests, two cooling methods were used. The addition of SWNTs to the polymer in slow-cooled samples resulted in partial crystallization in the γ -form, while SWNTs had no effect in water-cooled samples, the sample crystallizing in the α -form. Scanning electron microscopy observations on the fracture surface of the nanocomposites showed the dispersion of the SWNTs in the nanocomposites.     

Organic dopant added polyvinylidene fluoride based solid polymer electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells

The effect of phenothiazine (PTZ) as dopant on PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte was studied for the fabrication of efficient dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The different weight percentage (wt%) ratios (0, 20, 30, 40 and 50%) of PTZ doped PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte films were prepared by solution casting method using DMF as a solvent. The following techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and AC-impedance analysis have been employed to characterize the prepared polymer electrolyte films. The FT-IR studies revealed the complex formation between PVDF/KI/I₂ and PTZ. The crystalline and amorphous nature of polymer electrolytes were confirmed by DSC and XRD analysis respectively. The ionic conductivities of polymer electrolyte films were calculated from the AC-impedance analysis. The undoped PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte exhibited the ionic conductivity of 4.68×10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ and this value was increased to 7.43×10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹ when PTZ was added to PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte. On comparison with different wt% ratios, the maximum ionic conductivity was observed for 20% PTZ-PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte. A DSSC assembled with the optimized wt % of PTZ doped PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 2.92%, than the undoped PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte (1.41%) at similar conditions. Hence, the 20% PTZ-PVDF/KI/I₂ electrolyte was found to be optimal for DSSC applications.