Dynamic-mechanical

The dynamic mechanical properties of PTFE have been measured at frequencies from 0.033 to 90 Uz. Abmpt changes in the distribution of relaxation times are associated with the crystalline transitions at 19 and 30°C (75). The activation energies are 102.5 kj/mol (24.5 kcal/mol) below 19°C, 510.4 kJ/mol (122 kcal/mol) between the transitions, and 31.4 kJ/mol (7.5 kcal/mol) above 30°C. 

Dynamic mechanical measurements were made on PTEE samples saturated with various halocarbons (88). The peaks in loss modulus associated with the amorphous relaxation near —90°C and the crystalline relaxation near room temperature were not affected by these additives. An additional loss peak appeared near —30° C, and the modulus was reduced at all higher temperatures. The amorphous relaxation that appears as a peak in the loss compliance at 134°C is shifted to 45—70°C in the swollen samples. 

Transitions. Samples containing 50 mol % tetrafluoroethylene with ca 92% alternation were quenched in ice water or cooled slowly from the melt to minimise or maximize crystallinity, respectively (19). Internal motions were studied by dynamic mechanical and dielectric measurements, and by nuclear magnetic resonance. The dynamic mechanical behavior showed that the CC relaxation occurs at 110°C in the quenched sample in the slowly cooled sample it is shifted to 135°C. The P relaxation appears near —25°C. The y relaxation at — 120°C in the quenched sample is reduced in peak height in the slowly cooled sample and shifted to a slightly higher temperature. The CC and y relaxations reflect motions in the amorphous regions, whereas the P relaxation occurs in the crystalline regions. The y relaxation at — 120°C in dynamic mechanical measurements at 1 H2 appears at —35°C in dielectric measurements at 10 H2. The temperature of the CC relaxation varies from 145°C at 100 H2 to 170°C at 10 H2. In the mechanical measurement, it is 110°C. There is no evidence for relaxation in the dielectric data. 

Relaxations of a-PVDF have been investigated by various methods including dielectric, dynamic mechanical, nmr, dilatometric, and piezoelectric and reviewed (3). Significant relaxation ranges are seen in the loss-modulus curve of the dynamic mechanical spectmm for a-PVDF at about 100°C (a ), 50°C (a ), —38° C (P), and —70° C (y). PVDF relaxation temperatures are rather complex because the behavior of PVDF varies with thermal or mechanical history and with the testing methodology (131). 

Other PDMS—sihca-based hybrids have been reported (16,17) and related to the ceramer hybrids (10—12,17). Using differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and saxs, the microstmcture of these PDMS hybrids was determined to be microphase-separated, in that the polysiUcate domains (of ca 3 nm in diameter) behave as network cross-link junctions dispersed within the PDMS oligomer-rich phase. The distance between these... 

Transparent, homogeneous hybrids using a 50 50 PVAc-to-TEOS mixture and an acid-catalyzed reaction have been produced and characterized by dsc and dms (46). Dsc indicated only a slight increase in the T of the hybrid with incorporation of sihca. Dynamic mechanical tan 8 responses indicate a strong interaction between the organic and inorganic phases and, hence, weU-dispersed phases that lead to high modulus mbbery plateaus. 

The volatile content of the treated paper is important because moisture acts as a temporary plasticizer to promote resin flow during early stages of pressing (9). Dynamic mechanical analysis of the treated paper is a very useful means to study the initial flow stages of a resin and the cure time required to complete cross-linking (10). 

During the press operation, which is actually a form of compression mol ding, the resin-treated laminate pHes are heated under pressure and the resins cured. The initial heating phases cause the resin to melt and flow into voids in the reinforcing ply and bond the individual pHes together. The appHed heat simultaneously causes the resin to polymerize and eventually to cross-link or gel. Therefore, resin viscosity reaches a minimum during the press cycle. This is the point at which the curing process becomes dominant over the melt flow process. Dynamic mechanical and dielectric analyses (11) are excellent tools for study of this behavior. 

Glass-transition temperatures are commonly determined by differential scanning calorimetry or dynamic mechanical analysis. Many reported values have been measured by dilatometric methods however, methods based on the torsional pendulum, strain gauge, and refractivity also give results which are ia good agreement. Vicat temperature and britde poiat yield only approximate transition temperature values but are useful because of the simplicity of measurement. The reported T values for a large number of polymers may be found ia References 5, 6, 12, and 13. 

The principal techniques for determining the microstmcture of phenoHc resins include mass spectroscopy, proton, and C-nmr spectroscopy, as well as gc, Ic, and gpc. The softening and curing processes of phenoHc resins are effectively studied by using thermal and mechanical techniques, such as tga, dsc, and dynamic mechanical analysis (dma). Infrared (ir) and electron spectroscopy are also employed. 

Dynamic mechanical analysis provides a useful technique to study the cure kinetics and high temperature mechanical properties of phenoHc resins. The volatile components of the resin do not affect the scan or limit the temperature range of the experiment. However, uncured samples must be... 

Thermal analysis iavolves techniques ia which a physical property of a material is measured agaiast temperature at the same time the material is exposed to a coatroUed temperature program. A wide range of thermal analysis techniques have been developed siace the commercial development of automated thermal equipment as Hsted ia Table 1. Of these the best known and most often used for polymers are thermogravimetry (tg), differential thermal analysis (dta), differential scanning calorimetry (dsc), and dynamic mechanical analysis (dma). 

Changes in heat capacity and measurement of T for blends have been used to determine components of copolymers and blends (126—129), although dynamic mechanical analysis has been found to give better resolution. Equations relating T of miscible blends and ratios of components have been developed from dsc techniques, eg, the Fox equation (eq. 1), where f the blend, or is the weight fraction of component 1 or 2,... 

DMPPO and polystyrene form compatible blends. The two components are miscible in all proportions (59). Reported dynamic—mechanical results that indicate the presence of two phases in some blends apparendy are caused by incomplete mixing (60). Transition behavior of thoroughly mixed blends indicates that the polymers are truly compatible on a segmental level (61). CompatibiUty may be attributed to a %— % interaction between the aromatic rings of the two polymers sufficient to produce a negative heat of mixing. However, the forces are very small, ie, = ca40 J/mol (9.6 cal/g), and any... 

Studies of the particle—epoxy interface and particle composition have been helphil in understanding the mbber-particle formation in epoxy resins (306). Based on extensive dynamic mechanical studies of epoxy resin cure, a mechanism was proposed for the development of a heterophase morphology in mbber-modifted epoxy resins (307). Other functionalized mbbers, such as amine-terminated butadiene—acrylonitrile copolymers (308) and -butyl acrylate—acryhc acid copolymers (309), have been used for toughening epoxy resins. 

Fatty Acid Process. When free fatty acids are used instead of oil as the starting component, the alcoholysis step is avoided. AH of the ingredients can therefore be charged into the reactor to start a batch. The reactants are heated together, under agitation and an inert gas blanket, until the desired endpoint is reached. Alkyds prepared by the fatty acid process have narrower molecular weight distribution and give films with better dynamic mechanical properties (34). 

In a similar fashion. Thermally Stimulated Current spectrometry (TSC) makes use of an appHed d-c potential that acts as the stress to orient dipoles. The temperature is then lowered to trap these dipoles, and small electrical currents are measured during heating as the dipoles relax. The resulting relaxation maps have been related to G and G" curves obtained by dynamic mechanical analysis (244—246). This technique, long carried out only in laboratory-built instmments, is available as a commercial TSC spectrometer from Thermold Partners L.P., formerly Solomat Instmments (247). 

Dynamic techniques are used to determine storage and loss moduli, G and G respectively, and the loss tangent, tan 5. Some instmments are sensitive enough for the study of Hquids and can be used to measure the dynamic viscosity T 7 Measurements are made as a function of temperature, time, or frequency, and results can be used to determine transitions and chemical reactions as well as the properties noted above. Dynamic mechanical techniques for sohds can be grouped into three main areas free vibration, resonance-forced vibrations, and nonresonance-forced vibrations. Dynamic techniques have been described in detail (242,251,255,266,269—279). A number of instmments are Hsted in Table 8. Related ASTM standards are Hsted in Table 9. 

Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analyzer (DMTA) c 10-" -2 X 10" 10 -10" Rheometric Scientific, Inc., Piscataway, N.J. 

Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer DMA7 C 10-"-50 Perkin-Ehner Corp., Norwalk, Conn. 

Table 9. ASTM Standards on Dynamic Mechanical Analysis...

Rheological Measurement of Polymer Melts Using Dynamic Mechanical Procedures... 

Determining and Reporting Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Plastics... 

Another resonant frequency instmment is the TA Instmments dynamic mechanical analy2er (DMA). A bar-like specimen is clamped between two pivoted arms and sinusoidally oscillated at its resonant frequency with an ampHtude selected by the operator. An amount of energy equal to that dissipated by the specimen is added on each cycle to maintain a constant ampHtude. The flexural modulus, E is calculated from the resonant frequency, and the makeup energy represents a damping function, which can be related to the loss modulus, E". A newer version of this instmment, the TA Instmments 983 DMA, can also make measurements at fixed frequencies as weU as creep and stress—relaxation measurements. 

Pig. 45. TA Instmments DMA 2980 dynamic mechanical analy2er. Courtesy of TA Instmments, Inc. 

Fig. 46. Schematic diagram of a dynamic mechanical analy2er based on the nonresonance-forced vibration principle (Rheovibron-type).

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