Poly elasticity

As the demand for rubber increased so did the chemical industry s efforts to prepare a synthetic sub stitute One of the first elastomers (a synthetic poly mer that possesses elasticity) to find a commercial niche was neoprene discovered by chemists at Du Pont in 1931 Neoprene is produced by free radical polymerization of 2 chloro 1 3 butadiene and has the greatest variety of applications of any elastomer Some uses include electrical insulation conveyer belts hoses and weather balloons... 

Polyacetaldehyde, a mbbery polymer with an acetal stmcture, was first discovered in 1936 (49,50). More recentiy, it has been shown that a white, nontacky, and highly elastic polymer can be formed by cationic polymerization using BF in Hquid ethylene (51). At temperatures below —75° C using anionic initiators, such as metal alkyls in a hydrocarbon solvent, a crystalline, isotactic polymer is obtained (52). This polymer also has an acetal [poly(oxymethylene)] stmcture. Molecular weights in the range of 800,000—3,000,000 have been reported. Polyacetaldehyde is unstable and depolymerizes in a few days to acetaldehyde. The methods used for stabilizing polyformaldehyde have not been successful with poly acetaldehyde and the polymer has no practical significance (see Acetalresins). 

Aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) solutions of higher molecular weight (ca 10 ) become stringy at polymer concentrations less than 1 wt %. At concentrations of 20 wt %, solutions become nontacky elastic gels above this concentration, the solutions appear to be hard, tough, water-plasticized polymers. 

Figure 8.11. Effect of molecular weight on critical shear stress at onset of elastic turbulence in poly(methyl methacrylate). (After Howells and Benbow )...

In the massive form poly(vinyl chloride) is a colourless rigid material with limited heat stability and with a tendency to adhere to metallic surfaces when heated. For these, and other, reasons it is necessary to compound the polymer with other ingredients to make useful plastics materials. By such means it is possible to produce a wide range of products, including rigid piping and soft elastic cellular materials. 

In the JKR experiments, a macroscopic spherical cap of a soft, elastic material is in contact with a planar surface. In these experiments, the contact radius is measured as a function of the applied load (a versus P) using an optical microscope, and the interfacial adhesion (W) is determined using Eqs. 11 and 16. In their original work, Johnson et al. [6] measured a versus P between a rubber-rubber interface, and the interface between crosslinked silicone rubber sphere and poly(methyl methacrylate) flat. The apparatus used for these measurements was fairly simple. The contact radius was measured using a simple optical microscope. This type of measurement is particularly suitable for soft elastic materials. 

Fig. 14. Amplitude dependences (y0 is the amplitude of cyclic deformations) of the elastic modulus for frequency a) = 63 s 1 13% dispersion of acetylene carbon black in low- (/) and high-molecular (2) poly(isobutylene)s...

Emulsion polymerization is the most important process for production of elastic polymers based on butadiene. Copolymers of butadiene with styrene and acrylonitrile have attained particular significance. Polymerized 2-chlorobutadiene is known as chloroprene rubber. Emulsion polymerization provides the advantage of running a low viscosity during the entire time of polymerization. Hence the temperature can easily be controlled. The polymerizate is formed as a latex similar to natural rubber latex. In this way the production of mixed lattices is relieved. The temperature of polymerization is usually 50°C. Low-temperature polymerization is carried out by the help of redox systems at a temperature of 5°C. This kind of polymerization leads to a higher amount of desired trans-1,4 structures instead of cis-1,4 structures. Chloroprene rubber from poly-2-chlorbutadiene is equally formed by emulsion polymerization. Chloroprene polymerizes considerably more rapidly than butadiene and isoprene. Especially in low-temperature polymerization emulsifiers must show good solubility and... 

The elasticity of a polymer is its ability to return to its original shape after being stretched. Natural rubber has low elasticity and is easily softened by hearing. Flowever, the vulcanization of rubber increases its elasticity. In vulcanization, rubber is heated with sulfur. The sulfur atoms form cross-links between the poly-isoprene chains and produce a three-dimensional network of atoms (Fig. 19.17). Because the chains are covalently linked together, vulcanized rubber does not soften as much as natural rubber when the temperature is raised. Vulcanized rubber is also much more resistant to deformation when stretched, because the cross-... 

Urayama, K., Yamamoto, S., Tsujii, Y, Fukuda, T. and Neher, D. (2002) Elastic properties of well-defined, high-density poly(methyl methacrylate) brushes studied by electromechanical interferometry. Macromolecules, 35, 9459-9465. 

Elastic and quasi-elastic (NSE) neutron scattering experiments were performed on dilute solutions of linear poly(isoprene) (PIP) polymers and of PIP stars (f = 4,12,18) [150]. In all cases the protonated polymers were dissolved in d-benzene and measured at T = 323 K, where benzene is a good solvent. Figure 50 shows the results of the static scattering profile in a scaled Kratky representation. In this plot the radii of gyration, obtained from a fit of the... 

Poly(ethylene terephthalate), (PET), is a thermoplastic polymer widely used in the production of fibers and films on exposure to near ultraviolet light, PET fibers tend to lose their elasticity and break easily PET films become discolored, brittle and develop crazed surfaces. Such deterioration in properties has been attributed to photochemical reactions initiated by the... 

Until recently ( 1 5 ) investigations utilizing model networks had been limited to functionalities of four or less. Networks with higher functionality are predicted by the various theories of rubber elasticity to display unique equilibrium tensile behavior. As such, these multifunctional networks provide insight into the controversy surrounding these theories. The present study addresses the synthesis and equilibrium tensile behavior of endlinked model multifunctional poly(diraethylsilox-ane) (PDMS) networks. 

Studies have been made of the elastic (time-independent) properties of single-phase polyurethane elastomers, including those prepared from a diisocyanate, a triol, and a diol, such as dihydroxy-terminated poly (propylene oxide) (1,2), and also from dihydroxy-terminated polymers and a triisocyanate (3,4,5). In this paper, equilibrium stress-strain data for three polyurethane elastomers, carefully prepared and studied some years ago (6), are presented along with their shear moduli. For two of these elastomers, primarily, consideration is given to the contributions to the modulus of elastically active chains and topological interactions between such chains. Toward this end, the concentration of active chains, vc, is calculated from the sol fraction and the initial formulation which consisted of a diisocyanate, a triol, a dihydroxy-terminated polyether, and a small amount of monohydroxy polyether. As all active junctions are trifunctional, their concentration always... 

PSA compositions must have a good balance of different properties, depending on its specific application. PSAs for adhesive tapes for instance, must have a good adhesion, cohesion, stretchiness and elasticity. Furthermore the base polymers must be elastomers at room temperature [124]. Due to its elastomeric behavior and biodegradability, poly(HAMCL) seems to be a promising base polymer for the development of a completely biodegradable PSA. 

ABA-type triblock copolymerization of MMA/BuA/MMA should give rubberlike elastic polymers. The resulting copolymers should have two vitreous outer blocks, where the poly(MMA) moiety (hard segment) associates with the nodules, and the central soft poly(BuA) elastomeric block provides rubber elasticity. Ihara et al. [35] were the first to synthesize an AB-type block copolymer, with MMA (190 equivalents of initiator) first polymerized by... 

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