Isothermal contraction below

Perhaps the most direct observation of the relation between relaxation times and free volume, as expressed in its most general form by equation 49, is obtained from viscoelastic" " (or viscosity or dielectric ) measurements repeated over a period of time during the spontaneous contraction of a glassy sample that occurs after quenching it to a temperature near or below Tg, as portrayed in Fig. 11 -7. As the volume decreases, the relaxation times increase. Since the contraction takes place at constant temperature and pressure, the change in ar can be entirely attributed to collapse of free volume as a function of elapsed time. Moreover, since the occupied volume should remain constant at constant T and P, experimental measurements of the decrease in v provide the decrease in ly directly. Thus, during such an isothermal contraction at temperature T, the fractional free volume at time t is... 

The inclusion of values in Table 1 l-III derived from dynamic bulk viscoelastic measurements implies the concept that the relaxation times describing time-de-pendent volume changes also depend on the fractional free volume—consistent with the picture of the glass transition outlined in Section C. In fact, the measurements of dynamic storage and loss bulk compliance of poly(vinyl acetate) shown in Fig. 2-9 are reduced from data at different temperatures and pressures using shift factors calculated from free volume parameters obtained from shear measurements, so it may be concluded that the local molecular motions needed to accomplish volume collapse depend on the magnitude of the free volume in the same manner as the motions which accomplish shear displacements. Moreover, it was pointed out in connection with Fig. 11 -7 that the isothermal contraction following a quench to a temperature near or below Tg has a temperature dependence which can be described by reduced variables with shift factors ay identical with those for shear viscoelastic behavior. These features will be discussed more fully in Chapter 18. 

Non-isothermal measurements of the temperatures of dehydrations and decompositions of some 25 oxalates in oxygen or in nitrogen atmospheres have been reported by Dollimore and Griffiths [39]. Shkarin et al. [606] conclude, from the similarities they found in the kinetics of dehydration of Ni, Mn, Co, Fe, Mg, Ca and Th hydrated oxalates (first-order reactions and all values of E 100 kJ mole-1), that the mechanisms of reactions of the seven salts are probably identical. We believe, however, that this conclusion is premature when considered with reference to more recent observations for NiC204 2 H20 (see below [129]) where kinetic characteristics are shown to be sensitive to prevailing conditions. The dehydration of MnC204 2 H20 [607] has been found to obey the contracting volume... 

Figure 13.3. A P- V-T surface for a one-component system in which the substance contracts on freezing, such as water. Here Tj represents an isotherm below the triple-point temperature, 72 represents an isotherm between the triple-point temperature and the critical temperature, is the critical temperature, and represents an isotherm above the triple-point temperature. Points g, h, and i represent the molar volumes of sohd, hquid, and vapor, respectively, in equilibrium at the triple-point temperature. Points e and d represent the molar volumes of solid and liquid, respectively, in equihbrium at temperature T2 and the corresponding equilibrium pressure. Points c and b represent the molar volumes of hquid and vapor, respectively, in equilibrium at temperature and the corresponding equihbrium pressure. From F. W. Sears and G. L. Sahnger, Thermodynamics, Kinetic Theory, and Statistical Thermodynamics. 3rd ed., Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1975, p. 31.

The expressions in brackets are the expansivities above and below Tg. The constant K3 is a function of bond type in chains and is really constant for every class of polymers. The physical interpretation of this equation may be consistent with the iso-free-volume concept. However, we believe that the introduction of this equality is in practise a denial of the concept. There are also other arguments against this concept. Kastner56 found, for example, that dielectric losses diminish during the isothermal volume contraction, which indicates a dependence of relaxation times on free-volume. However, if we assume that relaxation time depends exclusively on free-volume, the calculated reduction factor differs from the experimental one. 

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