Thermodynamics and structure of the ordered amorphous phase in polymers

Experimental data are analysed to show that the activation enthalpy and the structural entropy appear to follow empirical relations for structural relaxation of polymeric systems. The relations indicate that melting temperature, glass transition temperature, relaxation time, coefficient of thermal expansion of free volume are interrelated in polymers. The parameters of structural relaxations, measured by mechanical and dielectric spectroscopies, are reviewed for polyethylene, poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) and a liquid-crystalline polynorbornene derivative. The thermodynamic parameters obtained from calorimetric measurements, are reported for zero heating rate extrapolation and they are used in the empirical relation, which combines the Arrhenius and the Vogel-Fulcher formulae.