Solid State Properties of Polymers

It is through the solid state characteristics of polymers that we - as users - primarily interact with them. For convenience, we can divide the principal properties of polymers into five categories mechanical, optical, surface contact, barrier, and electrical. Weather resistance is a sixth category that can influence each of the other five categories. In order to understand these properties we must be able to quantify them. In this chapter we shall concentrate on measurement techniques, since it is through these methods that we learn how a polymer will behave during use. 

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Rheological studies explore the flow of a material as an external force acts upon it. This flow depends not only on the magnitude and directionality of the external force, but also on the molecular composition and structure of the material that experiences the force. In this chapter, we will focus on the flow behavior of molten polymers, as it relates to their molecular structure. It is important to note that the molecular characteristics that determine a molten polymer s behavior also define the polymer s solid state behavior. Therefore, many of the concepts introduced in this chapter will reappear in Chapter 8, Solid State Properties of Polymers., ... 

Kitagawa,T. Crystal Dynamics and Related Solid State Properties of Polymers. Ph. D. Dissertation, Osaka Univ. (1968). 

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