Polymers density measurements

With the availability of the higher density polymers the value of the melt flow index as a measure of molecular weight diminishes. For example, it has been found that with two polymers of the same weight average molecular weight (4.2 X 10 ), the branched polymer (density = 0.92 g/cm ) had only 1/50 the viscosity of the more or less unbranched polymer (density = 0.96 g/cm ). This is due to long chain branches as explained above. 

Research and development technologists at the Dow Chemical Company can characterize materials in a variety of ways. One material property that is especially critical in polymer foaming and processing technology is density. A tool used for measuring the density of a material is called a pycnometer. There are many different manual and automatic types to choose from. For extremely accurate and precise density measurements, an easy-to-use, fully automatic gas displacement pycnometer is utilized. Analyses are commenced with a single keystroke. Once an analysis is initiated, data are collected, calculations performed, and results displayed without further operator intervention. 

Lin, S. and Koenig, J., The transitions and melting behaviour of thermally crystallized poly(ethylene terephthalate) and their correlations with FTIR and density measurements, J. Polym. Sci., Polym. Symp. Ed., 71, 121-135 (1984). 

The most fundamental work on polyethylene degradation is being done by A. C. Albertsson in Sweden(27,28,29,30,31) using elegant science with labelled polymers to measure the rate and quantity of carbon dioxide evolution from buried high and low density polyethylene films. Degradation occurs at about... 

The resistance to fluid flow is a measure of the physical structure of the foam. In order to control the flow through a foam, ceU size, degree of reticulation, density, and other physical factors must be controlled. The control of these physical factors, however, is achieved through the chemistry and the process by which the foam is made. The strength of the bulk polymer is measured by the tensile test described above, but it is clear that the tensile strengths of the individual bars and struts that form the boundaries of an individual cell determine, in part, the qualities of the cells that develop. A highly branched or cross-linked polymer molecule will possess certain tensile and elongation properties that define the cells. The process is also a critical part of the fluid flow formula, mostly due to kinetic factors. As discussed above, the addition of a polyol and/or water to a prepolymer initiates reactions that produce CO2 and cause a mass to polymerize. The juxtaposition of these two reactions defines the quality of the foam produced. Temperature is the primary factor that controls these reactions. Another factor is the emulsification of the prepolymer or isocyanate phase with the polyol or water. 

Mixtures of powders of poly(vinyl chloride) (FVC) and various metals were compacted at a pressure of 10,000 psig at 120-130°C. The compacts appear to be strong, and density measurements show the porosity to be <1.5%, Electrical resistivity is reduced, from a value for unloaded FVC of about JO25 Clem, to < JO"1 Clem by a fractional volume loading of nickel or copper as low as 0.06. Microscopic examination of polished sections of the compacts show the metallic particles to be segregated around zones of unpenetrated polymer which correspond in size to the initial particles of FVC. The pattern of segregation favors the formation of continuous chains of metallic particles at unusually low volume loadings. 

Infrared spectroscopic methods are extensively used to analyse polymers due to their simplicity, rapidity, reproducibility, non-destructive character and ease of sample preparation. Degree of crystallinity [73], chain branching [74], degree of oxidation [75], density measurements [76], quantification of additives [75, 77], end-group analysis [78, 79] and other physical/chemical properties have been studied using MIR and/or NIR. 

Vm(t) and Vp(t) are the theoretical volumes of the entire reaction mixture at any time assuming no polymerization and complete polymerization, respectively. Wr(t) and pr(t) are the entire reaction mass at a given time and the measured density of this mixture. Vm(t) is calculated from known masses and densities measured initially at the operating temperature of the densimeter. The quantity Vp(t) requires the further knowledge of the density of the polymer being produced at any given instant. 

The use of precision density measurements for monitoring polymerization reactions can be done rapidly and automatically using commercially available instrumentation. The method is independent of the reactor size and design but suffers from sampling difficulties. The examples of this paper show the rapidity of data collection and three distinct sampling problems pump failure from either monomer attack or polymer scale formation, monomer phase separation in the density cell, and the lag time for rapid polymerizations. Techniques have or can be devised to avoid or reduce the influence of these problems. 

Density Measurements. One simple form of calculating the density of a polymer sample is to first weigh the sample immersed in water. Assuming the density of water to be 1.0g/cm3, we can use the relation... 

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