Shear-induced interactions in blends of HMMPE containing a small amount of thermotropic copolyester HBA/HQ/SA

Shear-induced interactions between high molecular mass polyethylene (HMMPE) melt and a thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyester, HBA/HQ/SA (TLCP) were investigated using large amplitude oscillatory shear and capillary shear. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) observations show that the mono-domain nematic TLCP droplets embedded inside a HMMPE melt may be readily elongated using large amplitude oscillatory shear. The HMMPE melt adjacent to the elongated TLCP filament was observed to crystallize faster than that in the matrix away from the interface. TEM analysis on the 1 wt% TLCP/HMMPE blend quenched after capillary shear shows that there are strong interfacial interactions between the elongated TLCP filament and the HMMPE matrix. Long range PE lamellae orientational order up to 2 μm away from the TLCP filament surface were observed, with all the lamellae surface normal parallel to the TLCP fiber. Additionally, a strong interfacial compatibility between the TLCP filament and the HMMPE matrix with an interfacial thickness of ∼30 nm has also been observed. The enhanced interfacial compatibility is attributed to the -CH₂- group interactions due to chain alignment in both components at their interface. These results provide a fundamental insight to other TLCP containing thermoplastics where compatibilities may be present due to segmental interactions.     

Methods to determine solubility parameters of polymers using inverse gas chromatography

Experimental values of the Flory–Huggins parameter, χ, between polymers and solvents, are frequently used to determine the solubility parameters of the polymers. A method using nonlinear curve fitting of RTχ/V was compared to the linear regression method commonly used. It was found that the formulas for the solubility parameter were the same, but the linear method produced a slightly different entropy term. The nonlinear method gave a lower correlation coefficient and wider confidence intervals and was more effective at distinguishing systems than the linear model. The effect of the deviation of probes in the solubility parameter model is discussed. Using probes with low solubility parameters to measure the polymer solubility parameter gave wider confidence intervals. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2894–2902, 2004     

Phase Diagram for Liquid Crystalline Polymer/ Polycarbonate Blends

A novel mechanism to form binary polymer blends is through phase separation by spinodal decomposition in the unstable region of the phase diagram. The present work investigates the effects of thermally‐induced phase separation by spinodal decomposition on the morphology development of liquid crystalline polymer/polycarbonate blends. Moreover, a thermodynamic binary phase diagram is obtained using a twin‐screw extruder at various processing melt temperatures. Differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the miscibility of the blends and the resulting morphology. A thermodynamic binary phase diagram exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature was obtained. The droplet size distribution of the blend was also obtained and discussed in light of the Cahn‐Hilliard theory.     

Improved mechanical properties of shape‐memory polyurethane block copolymers through the control of the soft‐segment arrangement

High‐performance shape‐memory polyurethane block copolymers, prepared with two types of poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG) used as soft segments, were investigated for their mechanical properties. Copolymers with a random or block soft‐segment arrangement had higher stresses at break and elongations at break than those with only one kind of PTMG. Random copolymers with fewer interchain interactions showed higher elongation than block copolymers. All the copolymers had shape‐recovery ratios higher than 80%. In dynamic mechanical testing, the glass‐transition behavior clearly depended on the soft‐segment arrangement: random copolymers had only one glass‐transition peak, whereas block copolymers showed two separate glass‐transition peaks. Overall, the control of the soft‐segment arrangement plays a vital role in the development of high‐performance shape‐memory polyurethane. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2410–2415, 2004     

Presumed joint probability density function model for turbulent combustion

A presumed joint probability density function (pdf) model of turbulent combustion is proposed in this paper. The turbulent fluctuations of reactant concentrations and temperature are described using a presumed joint pdf of three-dimensional Gaussian distribution based on first and second-order moments of reactant concentration and temperature. Mean reaction rates in both premixed and diffusion combustion are obtained by mean of integration under the presumed joint pdf. This model is applied to predict turbulent premixed combustion of sudden-expansion flow and turbulent jet diffusion methane/air flame. For turbulent premixed combustion, the predicted results of temperature distribution and maximum temperature using the proposed model agree better with the experiment than that using the conventional eddy-breakup (EBU)-Arrhenius model. For the turbulent jet diffusion methane/air flame, the predicted results of velocity, temperature and species concentrations using the proposed model, the Arrhenius, EBU-Arrhenius, and laminar flamelet models are compared with experiment data. Results obtained with the presumed pdf model and that obtained by the laminar flamelet model both agree well with experiments, while results using the other models have a significant difference. The presumed joint pdf model is used to predict the NO formation process, which also agrees well with the experiment data. A unified turbulent combustion model, in which both effects of turbulent diffusion and chemical dynamics are considered, is established for both premixed and diffusion combustion, especially for the process of NO formation.     

中东及周边主要国家和地区乙烯工业发展对我国的影响

对中东及周边国家和地区的石化工业总体情况做了简要介绍，并对主要国这和地区的乙烯工业现状、发展趋势及特点进行了分析和预测，同时就其对我国的影响提出了建议和对策。     

Designing amino acid sequences to fold with good hydrophobic cores

We present two methods for designing amino acid sequences ofproteins that will fold to have good hydrophobic cores. Giventhe coordinates of the desired target protein or polymer structure,the methods generate sequences of hydrophobic (H) and polar(P) monomers that are intended to fold to these structures.One method designs hydrophobic inside, polar outside; the otherminimizes an energy function in a sequence evolution process.The sequences generated by these methods agree at the levelof 60–80% of the sequence positions in 20 proteins inthe Protein Data Bank. A major challenge in protein design isto create sequences that can fold uniquely, i.e. to a singleconformation rather than to many. While an earlier lattice-basedsequence evolution method was shown not to design unique folders,our method generates unique folders in lattice model tests.These methods may also be useful in designing other types offoldable polymer not based on amino acids     

Effect of Antimony Addition on Electrical and Optical Properties of Tin Oxide Film

Antimony-doped tin oxide films were prepared on Corning glass substrate by chemical vapor deposition from a gas mixture of SnCl₄–SbCl₅–H₂O. The electrical conductivity and optical transmission of tin oxide films were studied with antimony doping. The film conductivity increased largely without losing optical transparency with a small addition of antimony. The increase of the conductivity was attributed mainly to more electrons donated by pentavalent Sb ions in the SnO₂ lattice. Large additions of antimony, however, diminished the conductivity, optical transparency, and crystallinity of the film. The diminution was found to be caused by fine Sb₂O₅ phases codeposited with SnO₂.     

Slow stable crack growth in high density polyethylenes

The phenomenon of slow stable crack growth in polyethylene is investigated using notched specimens subject to constant load and the concepts of fracture mechanics. The effect of specimen geometry and dimension, the loading and the mode of loading on the applied stress intensity factor versus crack speed ($\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{-}\text{a}\text{?}$) curves has been studied to demonstrate that K_c is the controlling stress parameter for crack growth under suitable conditions. $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{-}\text{a}\text{?}$ curves are obtained for a high density polyethylene homopolymer in distilled water and in a diluted detergent solution at four different temperatures. Results are also obtained for a much tougher medium density polyethylene copolymer whenever possible. Several mechanisms can be identified from the form of the $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{-}\text{a}\text{?}$ curves. Two, in particular, have been observed but not explained before: (i) crack growth with a time dependence of 0.25, and (ii) the high $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{-}\text{a}\text{?}$ slopes for crack growth in a tough copolymer. With the help of scanning electron microscopic studies of the fracture surfaces, (i) is postulated to be due to diffusion controlled void growth process and (ii) is considered to be the result of crack tip blunting effects. From the temperature dependence of crack growth, the activation energy of the diffusion controlled crack growth process is found to coincide with that of the x-relaxation process in polyethylene implying that diffusion controlled crack growth may be related to the motion of main chains in the polymer.     

Micromechanical properties on the surface of PVC/SBR blends spatially resolved by a nanoindentation technique

The microhardness and micromodulus on the surface of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR) blends were determined using a nanoindenter. A flat surface was obtained by microtoming the sample at ?100°C in liquid nitrogen. Dozens of indents along a line with a spatial interval of 0.5 μm were performed. From the loading and unloading curves of each indentation, the stiffnesses of the unloading curve and the contact area between the sample and the indenter were evaluated, and the local modulus and hardness were calculated. Profiles of the local hardness and modulus were obtained from the lines of indents. Pure PVC and a miscible PVC/acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBR) (40/10) blend showed constant modulus and hardness values. In the case of an immiscible PVC/SBR (50/50) blend, which has a morphology of elongated PVC droplets in the SBR matrix, the hardness and modulus profiles showed regions of the different phases. At the interface between the SBR and PVC phases, a step change in the modulus and hardness profiles was observed. The force required to deform the material at the same displacement increased systematically across the interface from the SBR to the PVC phase because of the increasing contribution of the PVC phase. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:609–614, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.