Plasticizer molecular weight, effect

Figure 8.8 Effect of plasticizer molecular weight on performance. Plasticizers are chosen based on product requirements.

Studies on the use of high molecular weight esters in nitrile mbber have led to further studies to compare DINP with DBP. These showed that at the 10 phr level the nitrile mbber was effectively plasticized with DINP (35). 

The net effect is that tackifiers raise the 7g of the blend, but because they are very low molecular weight, their only contribution to the modulus is to dilute the elastic network, thereby reducing the modulus. It is worth noting that if the rheological modifier had a 7g less than the elastomer (as for example, an added compatible oil), the blend would be plasticized, i.e. while the modulus would be reduced due to network dilution, the T also would be reduced and a PSA would not result. This general effect of tackification of an elastomer is shown in the modulus-temperature plot in Fig. 4, after the manner of Class and Chu. Chu [10] points out that the first step in formulating a PSA would be to use Eqs. 1 and 2 to formulate to a 7g/modulus window that approximates the desired PSA characteristics. Windows of 7g/modulus for a variety of PSA applications have been put forward by Carper [35]. 

The presence of these low molecular weight tackifiers and plasticizers may also have other negative effects on the PSA performance. For example, the reduced entanglement of the polymer typically reduces the cohesive strength of the PSA, although crosslinking may be used to compensate for this loss in property. Plasticizers and tackifiers may also be susceptible to migration and/or oxidation, both... 

Resins with a significant low molecular weight tail, as shown in Fig. 5.3 c), exhibit similar melt flow characteristics to the most probable molecular weight distribution, but may be more flexible in the solid state due to the plasticizing effect of the shorter chains. 

Here c is the polymer concentration by weight. < the density of the polymer, a an effective bond length or measure of the coil dimensions, and to the monomeric friction factor. The subscript zero indicates the pure polymer. Since 2 (H), the mean-square end-to-end chain separation, the viscosity will be directly proportional to the polymer concentration unless the plasticizer modifies the coil swelling. At high molecular weight the monomeric friction factor is increased by the factor (MIMf)" and M, is increased relative to the undiluted polymer [equation (55)]. Thus... 

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