ISSN:
0098-1273
Keywords:
Physics
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
An interpolation model of density fluctuations in amorphous bulk polymers is suggested for the explanation of some peculiarities of structural relaxation of amorphous polymers volume. The main peculiarities of the model are (i) its account of the influence of fluctuations in the region where the WLF theory is true (the region of large fluctuations); (ii) its account of small fluctuations in the region where the dissipation mechanism appears to be considerably different from that in the region of large fluctuations; and (iii) its joining of the solutions of the resulting kinetic equations in the crossover region. On the basis of the suggested model we have obtained an equation of the Fokker-Plank type for the distribution function for density fluctuations with nontrivial boundary conditions for large fluctuations, and a quasistatic solution for small ones. These equations are analyzed and numerically solved in the isothermal regime. The results show that the theory corresponds to the WLF theory at temperatures much higher than Tg and that memory effects are found in the Tg region. In addition, preliminary estimates show that near Tg an extreme form of temperature dependence on activation energy is observed. All these facts agree qualitatively with experiment.
Additional Material:
6 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pol.1984.180220609
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