Randomly crosslinked networks with a range of crosslink densities were prepared by γ-irradiation. Quasielastic light scattering measurements were made on the gels swollen to equilibrium in cyclohexane at 308, 318 and 333 K. The longitudinal osmotic modulus Mos was obtained from the intensity of the dynamically scattered light, and the cooperative diffusion coefficient Dc calculated from the relaxation rate of the autocorrelation function. The concentration dependence of these parameters at the theta temperature was found to be consistent with the scaling predictions, but at higher temperatures where excluded volume conditions prevail, deviations from scaling behaviour were observed. These discrepancies are probably caused by defects in the network structure. 相似文献
Summary: A new technique, ultrasonically initiated in situ emulsion polymerization, was employed to prepare intercalated polystyrene/Na+‐MMT nanocomposites. FTIR, XRD, and TEM results confirm that the hydrophobic PS can easily intercalate into the galleries of hydrophilic montmorillonite via ultrasonically initiated in situ emulsion polymerization, taking advantages of the multi‐effects of ultrasonic irradiation, such as dispersion, pulverization, activation, and initiation. Properly reducing SDS concentration is beneficial to widen the d‐spacing between clay layers. However, the Na+‐MMT amount has little effect on the d‐spacing of nanocomposites. The glass transition temperature of nanocomposites increased as the percentage of clay increased, although the average molecular weight of PS decreased, and the decomposition temperature of the 1obtained nanocomposites moves to higher temperature.
Spherulitic growth rates and microstructure of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) cold-crystallized isothermally at various temperatures, Tc (115–240 °C), have been investigated by small-angle light scattering (SALS), optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The derived activation energy for sPS chain mobility at the crystal growing front is 5.4 kJ/mol, which is relatively lower than that of isotactic polystyrene, 6.5 kJ/mol. In addition, the Hv scattering invariant (QHv) measured by SALS on the crystallized sPS samples displays a pronounced minimum at 150 °C. Despite a wide range of Tc used, however, the sample crystallinity estimated by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy remains unchanged. Prior to crystallization, the correlation length derived from the Vv patterns on the basis of Debye–Bueche model is ca. 1.13 μm regardless of Tc used. Interconnected domains with a width of ca. 1.8±0.5 μm are readily observed in all the crystallized samples under phase contrast microscopy and the phase-separated structure is conserved within sPS spherulites whose diameters are increased with increasing Tc.
Based on the above facts, we conclude that the presence of a QHv minimum is ascribed to the resultant events of the two competitive transitions i.e. liquid–solid crystallization, and liquid–liquid demixing resulting from the spinodal decomposition (SD). At lower Tc, the unstable SD transition overwhelms the crystallization. Despite the low chain mobility, the coarsening process driven by the interfacial energies has reached a certain level before crystalline nucleation takes place. At higher Tc, on the other hand, cold crystallization becomes the dominant process due to the enhanced chain mobility, leading to the suppression of ongoing SD coarsening process. At an intermediate Tc range, comparable competition of the phase separation and crystallization prohibits the development of ordered symmetry within spherulites, giving the presence of QHv minimum. 相似文献