Packed density, general properties

Orientation sometimes leads to lower permeabiHty values (better barrier properties). Orientation can iacrease packing density, which lowers the diffusion coefficient D it can also iacrease the difficulty of hopping or diffusiag ia a direction perpendicular to the film. In the latter case, movement ia general may be fast, but movement through the film is limited. However, mere stretching does not always lead to orientation of the molecular chains. In fact, stretching can lead to void formation, which iacreases permeabiHty. 

A catalyst manufactured using a shaped support assumes the same general size and shape of the support, and this is an important consideration in the process design, since these properties determine packing density and the pressure drop across the reactor. Depending on the nature of the main reaction and any side reactions, the contact time of the reactants and products with the catalyst must be optimized for maximum overall efficiency. Since this is frequendy accompHshed by altering dow rates, described in terms of space velocity, the size and shape of the catalyst must be selected carehiUy to allow operation within the capabiUties of the hardware. 

Generally speaking, these properties are almost independent of the crosslink density in the same way as they are almost independent of the chain length in linear polymers. Thus, there are no fundamental differences between thermosets and amorphous thermoplastics in the glassy state, although certain second-order effects linked to crosslinking can be observed, sometimes, on packing density and local mobility. 

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