Polymer, molecular-weight control

Styrenic block copolymers (SBCs) are also widely used in HMA and PSA appHcations. Most hot melt appHed pressure sensitive adhesives are based on triblock copolymers consisting of SIS or SBS combinations (S = styrene, I = isoprene B = butadiene). Pressure sensitive adhesives typically employ low styrene, high molecular weight SIS polymers while hot melt adhesives usually use higher styrene, lower molecular weight SBCs. Resins compatible with the mid-block of an SBC improves tack properties those compatible with the end blocks control melt viscosity and temperature performance. 

Chain transfer to solvent is an important factor in controlling the molecular weight of polymers prepared by this method. The chain-transfer constants for poly(methyl methacrylate) in various common solvents (C) and for various chain-transfer agents are Hsted in Table 10. 

Some slurry processes use continuous stirred tank reactors and relatively heavy solvents (57) these ate employed by such companies as Hoechst, Montedison, Mitsubishi, Dow, and Nissan. In the Hoechst process (Eig. 4), hexane is used as the diluent. Reactors usually operate at 80—90°C and a total pressure of 1—3 MPa (10—30 psi). The solvent, ethylene, catalyst components, and hydrogen are all continuously fed into the reactor. The residence time of catalyst particles in the reactor is two to three hours. The polymer slurry may be transferred into a smaller reactor for post-polymerization. In most cases, molecular weight of polymer is controlled by the addition of hydrogen to both reactors. After the slurry exits the second reactor, the total charge is separated by a centrifuge into a Hquid stream and soHd polymer. The solvent is then steam-stripped from wet polymer, purified, and returned to the main reactor the wet polymer is dried and pelletized. Variations of this process are widely used throughout the world. 

Controlled stress viscometers are useful for determining the presence and the value of a yield stress. The stmcture can be estabUshed from creep measurements, and the elasticity from the amount of recovery after creep. The viscosity can be determined at very low shear rates, often ia a Newtonian region. This 2ero-shear viscosity, T q, is related directly to the molecular weight of polymer melts and concentrated polymer solutions. 

The most commonly used scale inhibitors are low molecular weight acrylate polymers and organophosphoms compounds (phosphonates). Both classes of materials function as threshold inhibitors however, the polymeric materials are more effective dispersants. Selection of a scale control agent depends on the precipitating species and its degree of supersaturation. The most effective scale control programs use both a precipitation inhibitor and a dispersant. In some cases this can be achieved with a single component (eg, polymers used to inhibit calcium phosphate at near neutral pH). 

AGE-Gontaining Elastomers. The manufacturing process for ECH—AGE, ECH—EO—AGE, ECH—PO—AGE, and PO—AGE is similar to that described for the ECH and ECH—EO elastomers. Solution polymerization is carried out in aromatic solvents. Slurry systems have been reported for PO—AGE (39,40). When monomer reactivity ratios are compared, AGE (and PO) are approximately 1.5 times more reactive than ECH. Since ECH is slightly less reactive than PO and AGE and considerably less reactive than EO, background monomer concentration must be controlled in ECH—AGE, ECH—EO—AGE, and ECH—PO—AGE synthesis in order to obtain a uniform product of the desired monomer composition. This is not necessary for the PO—AGE elastomer, as a copolymer of the same composition as the monomer charge is produced. AGE content of all these polymers is fairly low, less than 10%. Methods of molecular weight control, antioxidant addition, and product work-up are similar to those used for the ECH polymers described. 

The activity of initiators in ATRP is often judged qualitatively from the dispersity of the polymer product, the precision of molecular weight control and the observed rates of polymerization. Rates of initiator consumption are dependent on the value of the activation-deactivation equilibrium constant (A") and not simply on the activation rate constant ( acl). Rate constants and activation parameters are becoming available and some valuable trends for the dependence of these on initiator structure have been established.292"297... 

Mayo plot provides relative rate constants of the molecular weight controlling events22. Transfer and/or termination with solvent, polymer and impurities are assumed to be negligible. Although the Mayo equation is strictly valid only for data obtained at low conversion, Plesch23 has shown that the plot provides remarkably reliable information even with data obtained at relatively high conversions. 

Anionic polymerizations carried out in aprotic solvents with an efficient initiator may lead to molecular weight control (Mn is determined by the monomer to initiator mole ratio) and low polydispersity indices. The chains are linear and the monomer units are placed head-to-tail. Such polymers are commonly used as calibration samples and for investigation of structure-properties relationships. 

Interest in anionic polymerizations arises in part from the reactivity of the living carbanionic sites4 7) Access can be provided to polymers with a functional chain end. Such species are difficult to obtain by other methods. Polycondensations yield ro-functional polymers but they provide neither accurate molecular weight control nor low polydispersity. Recently Kennedy51) developed the inifer technique which is based upon selective transfer to fit vinylic polymers obtained cationically with functions at chain end. Also some cationic ring-opening polymerizations52) without spontaneous termination can yield re-functional polymers upon induced deactivation. Anionic polymerization remains however the most versatile and widely used method to synthesize tailor made re-functional macromolecules. 

Microstructure (see also Stereochemistry and Tacticity) 114,115.128.138,139 Miscibility (see also Compatibility) 12, 53, 68 Model networks 163 Modification of a polymer, chemical 154 Mold release 71, 74 Molecular weight, control 147. 154... 

After cooling, the microspheres were washed by decantation with petroleum ether to give a free-flowing powder. They were then sieved, dried, and stored in a freezer. Size distribution can be controlled by the stirring rate the yield is 70-90%. The process was quite reproducible with respect to yield, size, and loading distribution, if the same molecular weight of polymer was used. Less than 5% error was observed (5). 

It seems likely that further improvements in this coordination polymerization technique will require design of more active catalysts. The catalyst systems currently available are very amenable to modifications that dramatically influence dehydrocoupling rates. Significantly, results so far indicate that there is no inherent limitation to molecular weight control via polymerizations of this type, and in principle it should be possible to identify conditions and catalysts that allow production of high polymers. 

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