Glass transition temperature techniques

Table 1. Ultrathin Polymer Glass Transition Temperature Techniques...

It is worth mentioning that in heterogeneous multiphase systems, each phase retains its characteristics. The best method to check the presence of a phase separation in a system consists of the observation of two glass transition temperatures. Techniques of microscopy are also widely used to characterize heterogeneous systems (Figures 5.34 and 5.38) because they afford extremely precise information with respect to the phase dispersion and the structure of the interphase zones. 

Polymers will be elastic at temperatures that are above the glass-transition temperature and below the liquiflcation temperature. Elasticity is generally improved by the light cross linking of chains. This increases the liquiflcation temperature. It also keeps the material from being permanently deformed when stretched, which is due to chains sliding past one another. Computational techniques can be used to predict the glass-transition and liquiflcation temperatures as described below. 

The value of the glass-transition temperature, T, is dependent on the stereoregularity of the polymer, its molecular weight, and the measurement techniques used. Transition temperatures from —13 to 0°C ate reported for isotactic polypropylene, and —18 to 5°C for atactic (39,40). 

The thermal glass-transition temperatures of poly(vinyl acetal)s can be determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and nmr techniques (31). The thermal glass-transition temperature of poly(vinyl acetal) resins prepared from aliphatic aldehydes can be estimated from empirical relationships such as equation 1 where OH and OAc are the weight percent of vinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate units and C is the number of carbons in the chain derived from the aldehyde. The symbols with subscripts are the corresponding values for a standard (s) resin with known parameters (32). The formula accurately predicts that resin T increases as vinyl alcohol content increases, and decreases as vinyl acetate content and aldehyde carbon chain length increases. 

By a variation of chemistry and/or chain length the different time regimes can be shifted. From a simulation point of view we are again faced by the decision what kind of information we want to get out of the simulation. If one wants to look at very local properties, depending on the local chemistry of the individual monomers, there is no way around a simulation with all chemical details. However, one should keep in mind that by such a technique it is impossible to equilibrate the system near the glass transition temperature. 

Park et al. [20] reported on the synthesis of poly-(chloroprene-co-isobutyl methacrylate) and its compati-bilizing effect in immiscible polychloroprene-poly(iso-butyl methacrylate) blends. A copolymer of chloroprene rubber (CR) and isobutyl methacrylate (iBMA) poly[CP-Co-(BMA)] and a graft copolymer of iBMA and poly-chloroprene [poly(CR-g-iBMA)] were prepared for comparison. Blends of CR and PiBMA are prepared by the solution casting technique using THF as the solvent. The morphology and glass-transition temperature behavior indicated that the blend is an immiscible one. It was found that both the copolymers can improve the miscibility, but the efficiency is higher in poly(CR-Co-iBMA) than in poly(CR-g-iBMA),... 

Strict control of the fusion process is imperative. In addition to thickness, hardness, continuity and adhesion checks, correct cure may be assessed by differential scanning calorimetry techniques, which are designed to measure any difference in the glass transition temperature of a laboratory-cured powder and the cured coating taken from the factory-coated pipe. 

Molecular Motion in amorphous atactic polystyrene (PS) is more complicated and a number of relaxation processes, a through 5 have been detected by various techniques as reviewed recently by Sillescu74). Of course, motions above and below the glass transition temperature Tg have to be treated separately, as well as chain and side group mobility, respectively. Motion well above Tg as well as phenyl motion in the glassy state, involving rapid 180° jumps around their axes to the backbone has been discussed in detail in Ref.17). Here we will concentrate on chain mobility in the vicinity of the glass transition. 

TDI isomers, 210 Tear strength tests, 242-243 TEDA. See Triethylene diamine (TEDA) Telechelic oligomers, 456, 457 copolymerization of, 453-454 Telechelics, from polybutadiene, 456-459 TEM technique, 163-164 Temperature, polyamide shear modulus and, 138. See also /3-transition temperature (7)>) Brill temperature Deblocking temperatures //-transition temperature (Ty) Glass transition temperature (7) ) Heat deflection temperature (HDT) Heat distortion temperature (HDT) High-temperature entries Low-temperature entries Melting temperature (Fm) Modulu s - temperature relationship Thermal entries Tensile strength, 3, 242 TEOS. See Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)... 

Another example involved a batch of isocyanate crosslinker which was too tacky. Upon comparing the HPGPC trace of this sample with that of a control as shown in Figure 9, it is seen that the major difference between these two samples was the level of free caprolactam. The high content of free caprolactam in sample CX-006 depressed the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the sample to such an extent that CX-006 became too tacky. This method of analysis has proved to be a reliable and useful technique for detecting low levels of free caprolactam in this type of oligomeric crosslinker. 

Several new thermal analytical techniques are potentially valuable for the study of second-order transitions in the characterization of amorphous solids and for the accurate determination of glass transition temperatures. These modem techniques can detect and characterize glass transitions and other second-order transitions that are not detectable by conventional thermal analytical techniques such as DSC, TGA, or TMA. 

The heat flow into (endothermic) or out (exothermic) of a sample as a function of temperature and time is measured using the technique of DSC. In particular, it is used to study and determine the temperature of thermal transitions. For polymers, these include Tg, the glass transition temperature, Tc, the (exothermic) temperature of crystallisation for polymers that can crystallise, and Tm, the (endothermic) melting temperature. A DSC measurement requires only a small amount of sample 2-20 mg of a film, powder, fibre or liquid samples can be analysed in a DSC pan. 

Probably most of these investigators were studying poly(dichlorophosphazene) in the partially crosslinked state. Most of this was summarized by Allcock (.9). More recently, highly purified, uncrosslinked II has been examined in the solid state (21). The unstressed polymer is amorphous at room temperature, but crystallization can be induced by cooling or stretching techniques. The glass transition temperature, measured by Torsional Braid Analysis, is -66°C (22). 

In contrast to the mature instrumental techniques discussed above, a hitherto nonexistent class of techniques will require substantial development effort. The new instruments will be capable of measuring the thermal (e.g., glass transition temperatures for amorphous or semicrystalline polymers and melting temperatures for materials in the crystalline phase), chemical, and mechanical (e.g., viscoelastic) properties of nanoscale films in confined geometries, and their creation will require rethinking of conventional methods that are used for bulk measurements. 

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