Polymers viscometry

A complementary use of polymer viscometry is the indirect evaluation of the MWD of a polymer from dynamic viscosity measurements [28-30]. The methods used to correlate the MWD of polymers to rheological data are based on the previous determination of the polymer relaxation spectrum from linear oscillatory shear experiments [31, 32]. MWDs obtained from viscometric data analysis can help in the determination of the MWD curve from online measurements, or in cases where this curve cannot be easily determined from size exclusion chromatography (SEC) [30, 31]. 

Before we are in a position to discuss the viscosity of polymer melts, we must first give a quantitative definition of what is meant by viscosity and then say something about how this property is measured. This will not be our only exposure to experimental viscosity in this volume—other methods for determining bulk viscosity will be taken up in the next chapter and the viscosity of solutions will be discussed in Chap. 9—so the discussion of viscometry will only be introductory. Throughout we shall be concerned with constant temperature experiments conducted under nonturbulent flow conditions. 

Many proteins and polymers have been analyzed on SynChropak GPC and CATSEC columns. Table 10.6 lists some of the published applications. The use of a surfactant to analyze the caseins in milk is illustrated in Eig. 10.12. Viruses have also been analyzed on SynChropak GPC columns, as seen in the chromatogram from Dr. Jerson Silva of the University of Illinois (Pig. 10.13). Dr. Nagy and Mr. Terwilliger analyzed cationic polymers on a series of CATSEC columns using differential viscometry as detection (Pig. 10.14) (9). 

Synthetic, nonionic polymers generally elute with little or no adsorption on TSK-PW columns. Characterization of these polymers has been demonstrated successfully using four types of on-line detectors. These include differential refractive index (DRI), differential viscometry (DV), FALLS, and MALLS detection (4-8). Absolute molecular weight, root mean square (RMS) radius of gyration, conformational coefficients, and intrinsic viscosity distributions have... 

Synchropak columns are very useful for characterizing hydrophilic, anionic, and nonionic, water-soluble polymers, CATSEC columns work best for characterizing cationic polymers utilizing both light scattering and/or differential viscometry detection over a wide range of molecular weights. 

Hie hydrolytic depolymerization of nylon-6 was followed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), viscometry, and gravimetry. GPC determinations were performed on a Waters 150C chromatography system using benzyl alcohol as die eluant, two Plgel 10-p.m crosslinked polystyrene columns, and a differential refractometer detector. The flow rate was 1 mL/min. The concentration of the polymer solutions was 0.5 wt% and dissolution was accomplished at 130°C. 

Puskas, J.E. et al. Comparison of molecular weight and size measurement of polyisobutylenes by SEC-MALLS and viscometry, J. Polym. Sci. Chem., 44, 1777, 2006. 

In order to understand polymer solution behaviour, the samples have to be characterised with respect to their molecular configuration, their molar mass and polydispersity, the polymer concentration and the shear rate. Classical techniques of polymer characterisation (light scattering, viscometry, ultracentrifugation, etc.) yield information on the solution structure and conformation of single macromolecules, as well as on the thermodynamic interactions with the solvent. In technical concentrations the behaviour of the dissolved polymer is more complicated because additional intramolecular and intermolecular interactions between polymer segments appear. 

Nagy, D. J. and Terwilliger, D. A., Size exclusion chromatography/differential viscometry of cationic polymers, J. Liq. Chromatogr., 12, 1431, 1989. 

GPC proved to be a method extraordinarily well suited to the analysis and purification of 9-phenylcarbazole monodendrons, naturally branched polymers.12 Monodendrons up to generation four, molecular weight 16.6 kDa, were separated by GPC. Branching, introduced into bacterially produced poly(hydroxy butyrate) by co-polymerization with hydroxyvaleric acid, was analyzed by GPC in chloroform with on-line viscometry.13... 

Chain Length Properties of the Modified Polymers. A number of partially hydrogenated and hydroxymethyl ated polybutadienes were analyzed using vapour pressure osmometry, dilute solution viscometry and gel permeation chromatography. The parent polybutadiene had Mn in the range of 9,000 to 50,000. In the case of vapour pressure osmometry, the data were reproducible for polymers with Mn less than 20,000. All the polymers obtained (hydrogenated and... 

Recently, we have shown that non-isothermal chemiluminescence measurements for oxidized cellulose provide the same rate constants of cellulose degradation as may be measured from experiments on the decay of polymerization degree determined by viscometry. This may be also taken as indirect evidence that the light emission is somehow linked with the scission of polymer chains [29]. 

Shrinking of the polymer chains as a function of temperature was observed by capillary viscometry. The reduced viscosity, r]Sp/c, of polymer solutions approaches zero when the polymers are in their fully collapsed compact state and flow freely through the capillary. Above the cloud point, rjSp/c increases, which is indicative of aggregate formation. At low temperatures the... 

In addition, data on the size, shape and solvation of the polymer particles in aqueous solutions at temperatures below and above the transition phenomena registered by HS-DSC have been obtained [42]. Table 2 shows the results of capillary viscometry and light scattering experiments for the fractions p and s of poly(NVCl-co-NVIAz) synthesized at 65 °C from the feed with the initial molar comonomer ratio equal to 85 15. Since fraction p precipitates from the aqueous solution at temperatures > 34 °C, its intrinsic viscosity can be determined only at 20 °C, whereas for the fraction s such measurements were possible above and below the temperatures of the HS-DSC-registered conformational transition. 

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