Oligomer-polymer blends based on solvent-crazed polymers

The feasibility of preparation of oligomer-polymer blends by means of the solvent crazing technique is considered. An analysis of the mechanical behavior of polymers and porosity of deformed films led to the conclusion that polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol in their liquid state are adsorption-active environments effective toward PET and HDPE. The stretching of PET and HDPE in these environments follows the mechanisms of classical and delocalized solvent crazing, respectively. The blends based on PET and HDPE containing polyethylene glycol 400, polypropylene glycol 400, and polypropylene glycol 3000 with an amount of the hydrophilic component of 25–45% were prepared. Most blends retained their stability with time. The exception is the PET-PEG 400 blend, which exhibited a sustained release of the liquid component.     

The effect of preliminary orientation of polymers via tensile drawing at elevated temperature on solvent crazing

We studied how the preliminary orientation of an amorphous glassy PET via its uniaxial tensile drawing above the glass transition temperature affects the deformation behavior during subsequent tensile drawing in the presence of adsorptionally active environments. The tensile drawing of the preoriented PET samples with a low degree of preliminary orientation (below 100%) in the presence of liquid environments proceeds via the mechanism of solvent crazing; however, when a certain critical tensile strain is achieved (150% for PET), the ability of oriented samples to experience crazing appears to be totally suppressed. When the tensile drawing of preoriented samples is performed at a constant strain rate, the craze density in the sample increases with increasing degree of preliminary orientation; however when the test samples are stretched under creep conditions, the craze density markedly decreases. This behavior can be explained by a partial healing and smoothening of surface defects during preliminary orientation and by the effect of entanglement network. The preliminary orientation of polymers provides an efficient means for control over the craze density and the volume fraction of fibrillar polymer material in crazes.     

Radiation-Chemical Reduction of Copper Ions in Nanoporous Matrices Based on High-Density Polyethylene

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - The effect of preliminary annealing of semicrsytalline high-density polyethylene films on the parameters of nanoporous structure formed during deformation of...     

Preparation method for noble metal-polymer matrix nanocomposites

A method is described for the preparation of new nanocomposites based on poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(vinyl chloride), and polypropylene on the one hand and on noble metals (Ag and Pt) on the other. The method comprises the formation of nanoporous polymer matrices by crazing the polymers with simultaneous incorporation of noble metal precursors (AgNO₃ or H₂PtCl₆) into the matrices. Subsequent in situ reduction of the precursors yields the metal-polymer nanocomposites. Prospects for the practical application of the developed method for the production of metal-polymer nanocomposites are discussed.     

Mesoporous PET-Based Materials with Closed Porosity and Gas-Separating Properties

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - An approach to prepare highly porous polymeric material with continuous-solid surface layer (closed porosity) has been elaborated. The materials exhibiting...     

Strain-induced fibrillation of glassy polymers

Literature data on structural rearrangements taking place in amorphous glassy polymers upon their plastic deformation are analyzed. This deformation is shown to be primarily accompanied by polymer self-dispersion into fibrillar aggregates composed of oriented macromolecules with a diameter of 1—10 nm. The above structural rearrangements proceed independently of the deformation mode of polymers (cold drawing, crazing, or shear banding of polymers under the conditions of uniaxial drawing or uniaxial compression). Principal characteristics of the formed fibrils and the conditions providing their development are considered. Information on the properties of the fibrillated glassy polymers is presented, and the pathways of their possible practical application are highlighted.     

The role of the scale factor in the structure-related mechanical behavior of glassy polymers

Literature data on the effect of the scale factor on the structure and properties of polymers have been analyzed. Two modes of the scale factor have been revealed. The first mode is related to the sizes of a polymer phase. This factor manifests itself when the polymer phase sizes become comparable with the sizes of a macromolecular coil. The second mode is directly associated with the sizes of a polymer sample and becomes detectable when investigating bulky polymer samples. The scale factor has been shown to substantially affect the structure-related mechanical behavior of loaded polymers, in particular, the stress–strain curves characterizing glassy polymers.     

DSC and X-ray study of structure and phase transitions of low molecular compounds incorporated into crazes

Orientation, phase composition and phase transitions of a series of long chain low molecular weight compounds (LMC), such as heneicosane, cetyl alcohol, normal fatty acids, introduced into porous structure (crazes) of polymeric matrices oriented in liquid medium have been studied by means of DSC and SAXS techniques. Different types of LMC crystallites orientation in crazes of polymeric matrices have been observed. LMC phase state in crazes is shown to be characterized by higher stability of high-temperature polymer midifications. LMC melting temperature in crazes usually decreases as well as melting enthalpy (heat) and entropy. The origin of LMC properties changes observed is high dispersity (40–100nm) of LMC particles in crazes resulting in a marked growth of polymer/LMC interface influence on principal thermodynamic parameters of the systems studied.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels DSC- uns SAXS-Techniken wurden die Orientierung, Phasenzusammensetzung und Phasenumwandlungen einer Reihe von langkettigen niedermolekularen Verbindungen (LMC) wie z.B. Heneikosan, Zetylalkohol und normalen Fettsäuren untersucht, die in porösen Strukturen (Haarrissen) von in flüssigem Medium ausgerichteten polymeren Matrizen eingebracht wurden. Es konnten verschiedene LMC-Kristallit-TVpen in Haarrissen von polymeren Matrizen beobachtet werden. Es wurde gezeigt, daß der LMC-Phasenzustand in Haarrissen durch eine höhere Stabilität der Hochtemperatur-Polymermodifikationen charakterisiert ist. Die LMC Schmelztemperatur in Haarrissen nimmt im allgemeinen ab, genauso wie die Schmelzenthalpie (Wärme) und die Entropie. Der Grund für die beobachteten Veränderungen der LMC-Eigenschaften liegt in der großen Dispersität (40–100 nm) der LMC-Partikel in den Haarrissen, woraus sich ein sichtbarer Anstieg der Polymer/LMC Grenzflächeneinwirkung auf die grundlegenden thermodynamischen Parameter des untersuchten Systemes ergibt.