Infrared spectroscopy rubbery materials

It is concluded that IR spectroscopy provides information on qualitative as well quantitative analyses of rubbery materials, apart from their microstructures (that is, whether cis or trans, syndiotactic, atactic or isotactic). Different types of rubber blends (compatibilised or self-crosslinked) can be identified by the infrared spectroscopy. Synthesis, and degradation of polymers can also be followed by IR spectra. Mechanism of interaction between rubbers and fillers, can also be studied by IR-spectra. Different types of chemical reactions like the milling behaviour of rubbers, mechanism of adhesion and degradation can also be studied with the help of IR spectroscopy. The technique plays a great role in the product analysis under reverse engineering. 

Since infrared (IR) spectroscopy is one of the most widely used techniques for the identification of materials at the molecular level, it has been extensively used to characterise the rubbery materials. In this chapter the rubbery materials encompass PE, plasticised PVC, thermoplastic elastomers and ionomers. 

Spectroscopy has become a powerful tool for the determination of polymer structures. The major part of the book is devoted to techniques that are the most frequently used for analysis of rubbery materials, i.e., various methods of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and optical spectroscopy. One chapter is devoted to (multi) hyphenated thermograviometric analysis (TGA) techniques, i.e., TGA combined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mass spectroscopy, gas chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry and differential thermal analysis. There are already many excellent textbooks on the basic principles of these methods. Therefore, the main objective of the present book is to discuss a wide range of applications of the spectroscopic techniques for the analysis of rubbery materials. The contents of this book are of interest to chemists, physicists, material scientists and technologists who seek a better understanding of rubbery materials. 

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