Tensile strength copolymers

Polymer/copolymer Tensile strength (MPa) Flexural modulus (GPa)... 

Copolyester mechanical properties are dependent on the content of the terephthalic acid in the copolymer. Tensile strength and behaviour of the elongation at break are examples. Tensile strength increases from 8 N/mm to 12 N/mm as the terephthalic acid composition increases from 31% to 39%. The material becomes stiffer with increasing aromatic composition. Elongation at break is constant at 500% with compositions up to 44% aromatic, but drops rapidly with higher aromatic composition [52],... 

Modified ETEE copolymer has excellent weather resistance tensile strength and elongation ate not affected. On the other hand, tensile and elongation properties of the glass-reiaforced compound show a significant reduction. 

Content of Ot-Olefin. An increase in the a-olefin content of a copolymer results in a decrease of both crystallinity and density, accompanied by a significant reduction of the polymer mechanical modulus (stiffness). Eor example, the modulus values of ethylene—1-butene copolymers with a nonuniform compositional distribution decrease as shown in Table 2 (6). A similar dependence exists for ethylene—1-octene copolymers with uniform branching distribution (7), even though all such materials are, in general, much more elastic (see Table 2). An increase in the a-olefin content in the copolymers also results in a decrease of their tensile strength but a small increase in the elongation at break (8). These two dependencies, however, are not as pronounced as that for the resin modulus. 

In order to achieve the desired fiber properties, the two monomers were copolymerized so the final product was a block copolymer of the ABA type, where A was pure polyglycoHde and B, a random copolymer of mostly poly (trimethylene carbonate). The selected composition was about 30—40% poly (trimethylene carbonate). This suture reportedly has exceUent flexibiHty and superior in vivo tensile strength retention compared to polyglycoHde. It has been absorbed without adverse reaction ia about seven months (43). MetaboHsm studies show that the route of excretion for the trimethylene carbonate moiety is somewhat different from the glycolate moiety. Most of the glycolate is excreted by urine whereas most of the carbonate is excreted by expired CO2 and uriae. 

Copolymers of S-caprolactone and L-lactide are elastomeric when prepared from 25% S-caprolactone and 75% L-lactide, and rigid when prepared from 10% S-caprolactone and 90% L-lactide (47). Blends of poly-DL-lactide and polycaprolactone polymers are another way to achieve unique elastomeric properties. Copolymers of S-caprolactone and glycoHde have been evaluated in fiber form as potential absorbable sutures. Strong, flexible monofilaments have been produced which maintain 11—37% of initial tensile strength after two weeks in vivo (48). 

PolyglycoUc acid sutures are sold in the United States under the trade names Dexon II and Dexon "S". Dexon II is coated with polycaprolate (3), a copolymer of caprolactone [502-44-3] and glycoUde. The sutures are claimed to retain approximately 35% of their out-of-package tensile strength three... 

Lactomer suture is coated with a copolymer of caprolactone and glycoHde (3) and sold under the trade name Polysorb. It is claimed to retain approximately 30% of its out-of-package tensile strength three weeks after implantation and to be absorbed ia 56 to 70 days. 

Table 7. Effect of Stretch Ratio on Tensile Strength and Elongation of a VDC—VC Copolymer ...

A variation of the preceding process is used to produce oriented vinyUdene chloride copolymer films. The plastic is extmded into tube form and then is supercooled and subsequently biaxiaHy oriented in a continuous bubble process. The supercooled tube is flattened and passed through two sets of pinch roUs, which are arranged so that the second set of roUs travels faster than the first set. Between the two sets, air is injected into the tube to create a bubble that is entrapped by the pinch roUs. The entrapped air bubble remains stationary while the extmded tube is oriented as it passes around the bubble. Orientation is produced in the transverse and the longitudinal directions, creating excellent tensile strength, elongation, and flexibiUty in the film. The commercial procedure has been described (157). 

In contrast to other polymers the resistance to water permeation is low due to the hydrolysis of the poly(vinyl acetate) (163,164). Ethylene copolymers have been developed which have improved water resistance and waterproofness. The polymer can be used in the latex form or in a spray-dried form which can be preblended in with the cement (qv) in the proper proportion. The compressive and tensile strength of concrete is improved by addition of PVAc emulsions to the water before mixing. A polymer-soHds-to-total-soHds ratio of ca 10 90 is best. The emulsions also aid adhesion between new and old concrete when patching or resurfacing. 

Copolymers extend the number and range of available materials, enabling the polymer scientist to achieve combinations of material properties (eg, tensile strength, solubiHty, solvent resistance, low temperature flexibiHty, etc) unattainable from the simple constituent homopolymers. As a result, a large number of copolymers have become commercially important. Table 1 Hsts some of them. 

Random copolymers of vinyl chloride and other monomers are important commercially. Most of these materials are produced by suspension or emulsion polymerization using free-radical initiators. Important producers for vinyl chloride—vinyUdene chloride copolymers include Borden, Inc. and Dow. These copolymers are used in specialized coatings appHcations because of their enhanced solubiUty and as extender resins in plastisols where rapid fusion is required (72). Another important class of materials are the vinyl chloride—vinyl acetate copolymers. Principal producers include Borden Chemicals Plastics, B. F. Goodrich Chemical, and Union Carbide. The copolymerization of vinyl chloride with vinyl acetate yields a material with improved processabihty compared with vinyl chloride homopolymer. However, the physical and chemical properties of the copolymers are different from those of the homopolymer PVC. Generally, as the vinyl acetate content increases, the resin solubiUty in ketone and ester solvents and its susceptibiUty to chemical attack increase, the resin viscosity and heat distortion temperature decrease, and the tensile strength and flexibiUty increase slightly. 

Blends with styrenic block copolymers improve the flexibiUty of bitumens and asphalts. The block copolymer content of these blends is usually less than 20% even as Httie as 3% can make significant differences to the properties of asphalt (qv). The block copolymers make the products more flexible, especially at low temperatures, and increase their softening point. They generally decrease the penetration and reduce the tendency to flow at high service temperatures and they also increase the stiffness, tensile strength, ductility, and elastic recovery of the final products. Melt viscosities at processing temperatures remain relatively low so the materials are still easy to apply. As the polymer concentration is increased to about 5%, an interconnected polymer network is formed. At this point the nature of the mixture changes from an asphalt modified by a polymer to a polymer extended with an asphalt. 

Ethylene has also been copolymerised with a number of non-olefinic monomers and of the copolymers produced those with vinyl acetate have so far proved the most significant commercially . The presence of vinyl acetate residues in the chain reduces the polymer regularity and hence by the vinyl acetate content the amount of crystallinity may be controlled. Copolymers based on 45% vinyl acetate are rubbery and may be vulcanised with peroxides. They are commercially available (Levapren). Copolymers with about 30% vinyl acetate residues (Elvax-Du Pont) are flexible resins soluble in toluene and benezene at room temperature and with a tensile strength of about lOOOlbf/in (6.9 MPa) and a density of about 0.95 g/cm. Their main uses are as wax additives and as adhesive ingredients. 

Films of the copolymers are, as with Nafion, saponified and used for permselective membranes. They have a much higher tensile strength than the Du Pont material and are also claimed to have a higher ion exchange capacity. 

Commerical grades of EVOH typically have vinyl alcohol contents in the range 56-71%, but in contrast to the corresponding EVA materials these copolymers are crystalline. Furthermore, an increase in the vinyl alcohol content results in an increase in such properties as crystalline melting point, tensile strength and tensile modulus together with a decrease in oxygen permeability. This is a reflection of the fact that the ethylene and vinyl alcohol units in the chain are essentially isomorphous (see Sections 4.4 and 14.3.1). 

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