Pattern forming precipitation in gels due to coupling of chemical reactions with diffusion

Precipitate-forming chemical reactions have been studied in chemically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) gel medium. One of the reactive components was incorporated into the gel, the other was allowed to diffuse into it. Depending on the experimental conditions the reaction-diffusion process often results in patterns of different type. Experiments performed in tubes and in thin layers were carried out in order to investigate the effects of various factors (cross-linking density, swelling degree as well as the concentrations of the outer and inner electrolytes) on the morphologies of the precipitate patterns. It was found that precipitation occurs not only in the Liesegang bands, but also between bands. Beside Liesegang-type structures, tree-like patterns have been observed, showing a characteristic periodicity in the density profile obtained by digitalized image analyses.     

Calorimetric study of Diepoxide Chain-Extended Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate)

A series of chain-extended PET samples were obtained by the use of different amounts of a diepoxide as chain extender, which was prepared for this purpose. These samples exhibited different intrinsic viscosities and degrees of branching or cross-linking. The effects of this differentiation on the thermal properties were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermal parameters studied were the glass transition temperature (T_g), the cold-crystallization temperature (T_cc), the melting temperature (T_m), the enthalpy (ΔH_m) and the degree of crystallinity. The data revealed that, the higher the quantity of chain extender or the chain extension time, the higher T_gand T_cc, but the lower T_mand ΔH_m, i.e. the more amorphous the chain-extended samples, as also shown by density measurements. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal behaviour of styrene butadiene rubber/poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) blends

The thermal behaviour of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)/poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) blends was studied by using thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effects of blend ratio, cross-linking systems and compatibilization on the thermal stability and phase transition of the blends were analyzed. It was found that the mass loss of the blends at any temperature was lower than that of the components, highlighting the advantage of blending SBR and EVA. The addition of compatibilizer was also found to improve the thermal stability. DSC studies indicated the thermodynamic immiscibility of SBR/EVA system even in the presence of the compatibilizer. This is evident from the presence of two different glass transition temperatures, corresponding to SBR and EVA phases in both compatibilized and uncompatibilized blends.     

接枝和交联对纳米Si02改性NR／PP共混型热塑弹性体的影响

动态硫化制备纳米二氧化硅（SiO2）改性天然橡胶，聚丙烯共混型热塑性弹性体（NR/PPTPE）．研究了马来酸酐，苯乙烯，过氧化二异丙苯（MAH／St／DCP）多单体“就地”熔融接枝、交联对TPE力学性能、耐溶剂性能和耐热变形性能的影响，并用SEM分析了TPE的断面形貌．结果表明：纳米SiO2和MAH／St／DCP的最佳质量分数分别为0．03和0．0375／0．0188／0．00375时，MAH／St／DCP接枝、交联改性NR／PP／纳米SiO：TPE的力学性能、耐溶剂性能和耐热变形性能最佳．MAH／St／DCP“就地”接枝、交联通过细化交联NR分散相、改善交联NR分散的均匀性和增加两相之间的共交联，使NR与PP两相界面结合强度明显提高，NR／PPTPE的综合性能得到明显的改善．     

辐照对聚己内酯结构和性能的影响

研究了γ 辐照对不同分子量的聚己内酯 (PCL)的力学性能、热性能、结晶行为的影响 ,在此基础上 ,研究了辐射交联后的PCL的形状记忆行为 .研究结果表明 ,PCL的分子量越大 ,辐射交联所需的凝胶化剂量越低 .溶胶分数S +S1 2 与 1 D的关系很好地符合Charlesby Pinner关系式 ,说明PCL的辐射交联属于无规交联 .剂量对PCL的力学性能影响显著 ,剂量越大 ,抗张强度和断裂伸长率下降越多 ,但分子量较高的PCL的抗张强度受剂量的影响较小 .DMA分析表明 ,聚己内酯辐照交联后的弹性模量和耐热性能显著提高 .交联度较高的PCL表现出高弹态 ,可以拉伸 ,并具有较好的形状记忆行为 .DSC分析表明 ,辐射交联使PCL的结晶度有所增加 ,但也使结晶熔点有所降低     

用热聚法固定指示剂的光纤氧气传感器研究

采用热聚法将甲叉双丙烯酰胺（MBBA）聚合并共价交联在硅烷化的玻璃微珠上 ，同时将指示剂Ru（Ⅱ）-邻啡咯啉配合物物理包埋于聚合物中，研制了一种基于 荧光猝灭原理的光纤氧气传感器，采用NaHSO_3-O_2-MnSO_4体系引发MBBA水溶液热 聚合后应，通过确定NaHSO_3,MnSO_4,MBBA和Ru(phen)_3Cl_2的最佳反应浓度以及 玻璃微珠的尺寸，优化了聚合反应条件，改善了指示剂的固定效果，制备了性能较 好的传感器探头，该传感器的检测下限为5×10~(-6)(V/V)，响应时间为10s该传感 器连续工作50min,重复性标准偏差为±1%。     

Morphology and electric conductivity of cross-linked polyethylene–carbon black blends prepared by gelation/ crystallization from solutions

 Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) – carbon black (CB) blends were prepared by gelation/ crystallization from PE dilute solutions containing CB particles. The UHMWPE/CB composition chosen were 1/0.15, 1/0.25, 1/0.5, 1/0.75, 1/1, 1/3, 1/5, and 1/9, etc. The cross-linking of PE chains was performed by chemical reaction of dicumyl-peroxide at 160 ^°C. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the crystallinity of PE within the blends decreased drastically through the chemical reaction at high temperature. The sample preparation method by gelation/crystallization provided the UHMWPE–CB system with various CB contents up to 90% and the conductivities for the resultant specimens were in the range from 10^-9 to 1 Ω^-1 cm^-1 corresponding to the electric conductivity range of semiconductors. The blends assured thermal stability of electric conductivity by cross-linking of PE chains, although the mechanical property such as the storage and loss moduli were very sensitive to temperature. The conductivity of the blends with CB content ≥20% were almost independent of temperature up to 220 ^°C and the values in the heating and cooling processes were almost the same. On the other hand, for the UHMWPE–CB blends with 13% CB content corresponding to the critical one, temperature dependence of electric resistivity showed positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect. The PTC intensities for non-cross-linked and cross-linked materials were lower than that of the corresponding low-molecular-weight-polyethylene (LMWPE)–CB blend but the maximum peak appeared at 160 ^°C which is higher than the peak temperature of LMWPE–CB blend. Received: 10 December 1997 Accepted: 9 April 1998     

Swelling behavior of ionically cross-linked polyampholytic hydrogels in varied salt solutions

Ionically cross-linked polyampholytic hydrogels were synthesized by redox copolymerization of acrylamide and an ionic complex of (N,N-diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and acrylic acid (designated as PADA hydrogel). The swelling behavior of the hydrogels in water indicated that a minimal equilibrium swelling ratio is found when the molar ratio of anionic/cationic monomers was 1.55. In NaCl solution, the hydrogels exhibited the typical swelling behavior of conventional polyampholytic gels. Their equilibrium swelling ratios increased with an increase in the NaCl concentration. In solutions of multivalent ions (CaCl₂ and trisodium citrate solutions), the equilibrium swelling ratios of the hydrogels increased first and were then followed by a decrease with an increase in salt concentration. Interestingly, an unexpected abrupt swelling phenomenon was observed when the fully swollen hydrogels in salt solution were transmitted to pure water. The unique swelling behavior of PADA hydrogels depends not only on the molar ratio of the anionic/cationic monomers but also on the valency of the ions.     

Thermolysis of furoxans annulated with five-membered carbocycles in the presence of dipolarophiles

The conditions for the thermolysis of furoxans annulated with differently strained five-membered carbocycles (cyclopentafuroxan 1, norbornenofuroxan 2, and acenaphthofuroxan 3) to bis(nitrile oxides) in the presence of various dipolarophiles (diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, benzoylformonitrile, and ethoxycarbonylformonitrile) were optimized. It was found that the reactivities of the above furoxans as sources of bis(nitrile oxides) decrease in the order 2 > 1 > 3. Among the furoxans studied, only norbornenofuroxan 2 can be recommended as a possible cross-linking reagent for polymers. The formation of di-N-oxides of 3,4-bis(cyanopropyl)-, 3,4-bis(cyanocyclopentyl)-, and 3,4-bis(cyanonaphthyl)furoxans was detected. They resulted from intermolecular cyclodimerization of bis(nitrile oxides) initially formed in the thermolysis of furoxans 1–3. Dedicated to Academician V. A. Tartakovsky on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1521–1528, August, 2007.     

Calorimetric study of cross-linking polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of a multimonomer

The kinetics of free-radical cross-linking polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MM) in the presence of poly[2-(10-undecenoyloxy)ethyl methacrylate] (PUDEM) as a macromolecular cross-linker has been isothermally examined within the temperature range from 85–100°C using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The activation energy found for this reaction, E _a=89.3 kJ mol^–1, exceeds slightly the literature values of activation energy obtained for the mass polymerization of MM without any cross-linking agent. The activation energy has been also determined by the isoconversion method. It has been found that E _a decreases with the increase in the conversion, which may indicate a change in the reaction mechanism.This work was partly supported by the Committee for Research (KBN) in the framework of project No. 7 T08E 026 20