Glass transition origin

The results of tests on the polymers A, B, C, D are plotted versus the absolute temperature in Fig. 3.1 in order to facilitate comparison with Eq. 3.1. Tests on polymer E were spoilt by plastic deformation. Straight lines were drawn through the points in Fig. 3.1 and through the origin (T = OK). Such lines correspond with the Eq. (3.1). At temperatures below the glass transition where the polymers... 

The two main sources for slow relaxation in polymers are entanglement effects and the glass transition. The first is entropic in origin, whereas the second—at least in chemically realistic polymer models—is primarily enthalpic. We write the largest relaxation time in the melt as... 

For transport in amorphous systems, the temperature dependence of a number of relaxation and transport processes in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature can be described by the Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) equation (Williams, Landel and Ferry, 1955). This relationship was originally derived by fitting observed data for a number of different liquid systems. It expresses a characteristic property, e.g. reciprocal dielectric relaxation time, magnetic resonance relaxation rate, in terms of shift factors, aj, which are the ratios of any mechanical relaxation process at temperature T, to its value at a reference temperature 7, and is defined by... 

Fig. 1.2 Richness of dynamic modulus in a bulk polymer and its molecular origin. The associated length scales vary from the typical bond length ( A) at low temperatures to interchain distances ( 10 A) around the glass transition. In the plateau regime of the modulus typical scales involve distances between entanglements of the order of 50-100 A. In the flow regime the relevant length scale is determined by the proper chain dimensions...

The only currently existing theory for the glass transition is the mode coupling theory (MCT) (see, e.g. [95, 96, 106]). MCT is an approach based on a rather microscopic description of the dynamics of density fluctuations and correlations among them. Although the theory was only formulated originally for simple (monatomic) fluids, it is believed to be of much wider applicability. In this review we will only briefly summarize the main basis and predictions of this theory, focusing on those that can be directly checked by NSE measurements. 

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