Effects of polar group saturation on physical gelation of Amphiphilic polymer solutions

Monte Carlo simulation on the basis of the comblike coarse grained nonpolar/polar (NP) model has been carried out to study the polar group saturation effect on physical gelation of amphiphilic polymer solutions. The effects of polar group saturation due to hydrogen bonding or ion bridging on the sol-gel phase diagram, microstructure of aggregates, and chain conformation of amphiphilic polymer solutions under four different solvent conditions to either the nonpolar backbone or the polar side chain in amphiphilic polymer chains have been investigated. It is found that an increase of polar group saturation results in a monotonically decreased critical concentration of gelation point, which can be qualitatively supported by the dynamic theological measurements on pectin aqueous solutions. Furthermore, various solvent conditions to either the backbone or the side chain have significant impact on both chain conformation and microstructure of aggregates. When the solvent is repulsive to the nonpolar backbone but attractive to the polar side chain, the polymer chains are collapsed, and the gelation follows the mechanism of colloidal packing; at the other solvent conditions, the gelation follows the mechanism of random aggregation.

How does solvent molecular size affect the microscopic structure in polymer solutions?

Monte Carlo simulation has been used to investigate the effects of linear solvent molecular size on polymer chain conformation in solutions. Increasing the solvent molecular size leads to shrinkage of the polymer chains and increase of the critical overlap concentrations. The root-mean-square radius of gyration of polymer chains (R-g) is less sensitive to the variation of polymer concentration in solutions of larger solvent molecules. In addition, the dependency of R-g on polymer concentration under normal solvent conditions and solvent molecular size is in good agreement with scaling laws. When the solvent molecular size approaches the ideal end-to-end distance of the polymer chain, an extra aggregation of polymer chains occurs, and the solvent becomes the so-called medium-sized solvent. When the size of solvent molecules is smaller than the medium size, the polymer chains are swollen or partially swollen. However, when the size of solvent molecules is larger than the medium size, the polymer coils shrink and segregate, enwrapped by the large solvent molecules.

Pressure effects on the thermodynamics of trans-decahydronaphthalene/polystyrene polymer solutions: Application of the Sanchez-Lacombe lattice fluid theory

The cloud-point temperatures (T-cl's) of trans-decahydronaphthalene(TD)/polystyrene (PS, (M) over bar (w) = 270 000) solutions were determined by light scattering measurements over a range of temperatures (1-16degreesC), pressures (100-900 bar), and compositions (4.2-21.6 vol.-% polymer). The system phase separates upon cooling and T-cl was found to increase with rising pressure for constant composition. In the absence of special effects, this finding indicates positive excess volume for the mixing. Special attention was paid to the demixing temperatures as a function of pressure for different polymer solutions and the plots in the T-phi plane (where phi signifies volume fractions). The cloud-point curves of polymer solutions under different pressures were observed for different compositions, which demonstrated that pressure has a greater effect on the TD/PS solutions when far from the critical point as opposed to near the critical point. The Sanchez-Lacombe lattice fluid theory (SLLFT) was used to calculate the spinodals, the binodals, the Flory-Huggins (FH) interaction parameter, the enthalpy of mixing, and the volume changes of mixing. The calculated results show that modified PS scaling parameters can describe the thermodynamics of the TD/PS system well. Moreover the SLLFT describes the experimental results well.

Refractive index dispersion measurement on nonlinear optical polymer using V-prism refractometer

By using V-prism refractometer, the refractive indices of a polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest-host polymer system were measured with the polymer in solutions. The Lorenz-Lorentz local field formalism was used in the calculation of the refractive indices of the polymers from the measured indices of the polymer solutions and the pure solvent by using V-prism refractometer. The refractive index dispersions of the polymers were obtained by fitting the measured indices of the polymers to Sellmeyer equation. The method allows for an accuracy in index of 0.7% in the determination of the polymer indices. In addition, a large difference between the indices of the polymer and the solvent, and a higher polymer volume fraction in the measured polymer solution are favorable for a high accuracy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressure effects on thermodynamics of phase behavior in polystyrene/methylcyclohexane solutions

The calculations presented in this paper are based on the Sanchez-Lacombe (SL) lattice fluid theory. The interaction energy parameter, g*(12)/k, required in this approach was obtained by fitting the cloud points of polystyrene (PS) /methyleyclohexane (MCH) polymer solutions under pressure. The SL lattice fluid theory was used to calculate the spinodals, the binodals, and the Flory-Huggins (FH) interaction parameter of the solutions. The calculated results show that the SL lattice fluid theory can describe the dependences of thermodynamics of PS/MCH solutions on temperature and pressure very well. However, the calculated enthalpy and the excess volume changes indicate that the Clausius-Clapeyron equation cannot be suitable to describe pressure effect on PS/MCH solutions. Further analysis on the thermodynamics of this system under pressure shows that the role of entropy is more important than the excess volume in the present case.

Microfluidic Rheometry

The development and growth of microfluidics has stimulated interest in the behaviour of complex liquids in micro-scale geometries and provided a rich platform for rheometric investigations of non-Newtonian phenomena at small scales. Microfluidic techniques present the rheologist with new opportunities for material property measurement and this review discusses the use of microfluidic devices to measure bulk rheology in both shear and extensional flows. Capillary, stagnation and contraction flows are presented in this context and developments, limitations and future perspectives are examined. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

高分子溶液中物理凝胶化的Monte Carlo模拟和小角中子散射研究

高分子凝胶广泛地存在于自然界以及日常生活中，按其形成作用力不同分为化学凝胶和物理凝胶两大类。由于高分子物理凝胶具有凝胶化的可逆性及其对环境条件强烈的响应性，因此，在近半个世纪的研究与应用中受到极大的关注。高分子溶液中的物理凝胶因其结构及形成机制复杂，在实验方面，除了散射技术及流变技术能够有效地揭示它的部分信息外，其它的实验手段很难用于这个领域的研究；在理论方面，化学凝胶的理论已经比较成熟，而物理凝胶的粘弹性质以及凝胶化是一个远离平衡态的松弛过程，除了一些特征的标度指数外，人们还没有得到适用于高分子物理凝胶的普适规律。当前，由于计算机模拟理论及模拟方法的发展，使得计算机模拟成为除了实验和理论研究方法之外的第三个重要的研究方法。但是，由于物理凝胶化行为的复杂性，用实验和理论获得的信息很难较好地描述凝胶化过程，而计算机模拟的高度透明性及反映信息的完整性，有助于理解这一复杂过程中所涉及的物理本质。因此，利用计算机模拟结合实验及理论方法深入研究高分子物理凝胶的形成机制、结构与性能关系已成为目前最有效的手段之一。 本论文主要运用Monte Carlo模拟方法，并结合小角中子散射（Small-Angle Neutron Scattering, SANS）和流变（Rheology）等实验手段从多个角度探讨了以下几类典型的高分子溶液物理凝胶化行为。 1. 温度对遥爪型三嵌段共聚物在选择性溶剂中的自组装及凝胶化行为影响的研究：采用二维简单方格子Monte Carlo模拟方法，结合逾渗（Percolation）理论，建立了溶胶－凝胶转变相图在统计热力学中的确定方法；甄别了具有特征构象的链，讨论了链及胶束的聚集，明晰了相互作用（体现为约化温度）、构象转变、聚集与凝胶化的一致的关联关系；提出了构象转变模型，进而明确了此体系的凝胶化过程，在微观尺度上表现为桥型链和环型链之间的竞争。 2. 模拟模型改进及其应用到持续长度对稀溶液中高分子链构象影响的研究：考虑到原始八位置键涨落模型效率低，实现复杂且不能应用到复杂的高分子体系，对该模型进行了改进，使其实现简单、效率高，并拓宽了该模型的应用范围。然后，以刚性对均聚物构象的影响为例，发现随着刚性增加，均聚物构象从球形椭球到棒状椭球的转变，并对比了自由连接链（Free Joint Chain, FJC）模型和蠕虫链（Wormlike Chain, WLC）模型在不同刚性范围内对高分子链末端距预测的偏差，首次给出了这两个经典模型的半定量的适用边界。 3. 溶剂尺寸对遥爪型三嵌段共聚物在选择性溶剂中的自组装及凝胶化行为影响的研究：用改进后的八位置键涨落Monte Carlo模型，研究了遥爪型三嵌段共聚物在选择性溶剂条件下的聚集和凝胶化对溶剂尺寸的依赖性，发现溶剂尺寸效应对凝胶化的作用是非单调的。由一个均聚物体系的对比模拟证明这种作用主要是由熵驱动的，并给出了中分子溶剂的半定量定义。在均聚物和嵌段共聚物溶液中，不同尺寸的溶剂分子可以使溶液由于高分子聚集不同而具有不同的微结构，并影响高分子链构象和溶液的性质。从多个角度研究了三嵌段共聚物在不同尺寸溶剂的溶液中所遵循的三种不同的凝胶化机理。 4. 聚氧化乙烯－氧化丙稀－氧化乙烯三嵌段共聚物（poly(ethylene oxide)-poly (propylene oxide)-poly-(ethylene oxide), PEO-PPO-PEO）重水溶液凝胶化的小角中子散射（SANS）和Monte Carlo研究：结合Pluronic F127（EO65PO99EO65）/D2O三嵌段共聚物溶液的特征，对照SANS数据，用改进后的八位置键涨落模型成功地从模拟中获得了F127/D2O的溶胶－凝胶转变相图。详细地考察了体系的微观结构，提出此类高分子溶液中形成的物理凝胶包含高分子逾渗网络的生成，以及被束缚溶剂（Bound Solvent）必须超过离散组分体系逾渗的临界体积分数的机理。着重研究了一定浓度的F127水溶液随温度升高引起的溶胶－凝胶转变以及凝胶－溶胶转变的Reentrant相行为，发现体系在低温区域的溶胶－凝胶转变遵循相同的机理，而在中等温度和较高温度以及不同浓度区域中的凝胶－溶胶转变遵循不同的机理。 5. 极性基团饱和度和溶剂条件对两亲性聚合物在溶液中的聚集行为和凝胶化影响的研究：用改进后的八位置键涨落模型，针对两亲性聚合物在不同溶剂条件的溶液建立了粗粒化模型，以两亲性聚合物中极性基团的饱和度，溶剂条件和高分子浓度为变量，考察了其对链构象、聚集及其凝胶化的影响。 6. 多糖水溶液凝胶化的流变和小角中子散射研究：用流变和SANS考察了两个多糖水溶液中物理凝胶化过程，针对由氢键主导的水基凝胶体系的典型特征进行了讨论，从分子链构象，聚集体结构及其关联以及流变特征等方面对聚强电解质角叉胶（Carrageenan）水溶液和聚弱电解质明胶（Pectin）水溶液进行了详细的讨论。考察了不同多糖的种类（聚合物链的电荷密度），盐的种类和浓度，溶液温度等对凝胶化和凝胶结构的影响，分析了不同多糖溶液的凝胶化机理。

Molecular weight dependence of phase Behavior of PEO/P(EO-b-DMS) blends: Application of Sanchez-Lacombe lattice fluid theory

Molecular weight dependence of phase separation behavior of the Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)/Poly(ethylene oxide-block-dimethylsiloxane) (P(EO-b-DMS)) blends was investigated by both experimental and theoretical methods. The cloud point curves of PEO/P(EO-b-DMS) blends were obtained by turbidity method. Based on Sanchez-Lacombe lattice fluid theory (SLLFT), the adjustable parameter, epsilon*(12)/k (quantifying the interaction energy between different components), was evaluated by fitting the experimental data in phase diagrams. To calculate the spinodals, binodals, and the volume changes of mixing for these blends, three modified combining rules of the scaling parameters for the block copolymer were introduced.

Rim instability by solvent-induced dewetting

We study the condition of the occurrence of the rim instability in the solvent-induced dewetting process. Our experimental results show that the film thickness not only greatly influences the occurrence of the rim instability, but also influences the wavelength lambda as characterized by the undulation of the deformed contact line. The molecular weight of polymer does not almost influence the occurrence of the rim instability and the wavelength lambda. The wavelength lambda is proportional to the width of the rim in the rim instability region. The receding contact angle theta of polymer solutions on substrates in the dewetting process is an important factor to influence the rim instability in the solvent-induced dewetting.

Temperature and pressure dependence of phase separation of trans-decahydronaphthalene/polystyrene solution

The cloud-point temperatures (T-c1's) of ti-ans-decahydronaphthalene (TD)/polystyrene (PS, M-w = 270 kg/mol) solutions were determined by fight scattering measurements over a range of temperatures (1-16 degreesC), pressures (100-900 bar), and compositions (4.2-21.6 vol% polymer). The system phase separates upon cooling and the T-c1 was found to increase with the rising pressure for the constant composition. In the absence of special effects this finding indicates positive excess volumes. The special attention was paid to the demixing temperatures as a function of the pressure for the different polymer solutions and the plots in the T-volume fraction plane and P-volume fraction plane. The cloud-point curves of polymer solutions under changing pressures were observed for different compositions, demonstrates that the TD/PS system exhibits UCST (phase separation upon cooling) behavior. With this data the phase diagrams under pressure were calculated applying the Sanchez-Lacombe (SL) lattice fluid theory. Furthermore, the cause of phase separation, i.e., the influence of Flory-Huggins (FH) interaction parameter under pressure was investigated.

Study on the origin of inverted phase in drying solution-cast block copolymer films

In a previous study, we reported observation of the novel inverted phase (the minority blocks comprising the continuum phase) in kinetically controlled phase separating solution-cast poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) triblock copolymer films [Zhang et al. Macromolecules 2000, 33, 9561-7]. In this study, we adopt the same approach to investigate the formation of inverted phase in a series of solution-cast poly(styrene-b-butadiene) (SB) asymmetric diblock copolymers having nearly equal polystyrene (PS) weight fraction (about 30 wt %) but different molecular weights. The microstructure of the solution-cast block copolymer films resulting from different solvent evaporation rates, R, was inspected, from which the kinetically frozen-in phase structures at qualitatively different block copolymer concentrations and correspondingly different effective interaction parameter, chieff, can be deduced. Our result shows that there is a threshold molecular weight or range of molecular weight below which the unusual inverted phase is accessible by controlling the solvent evaporation rate. In comparing the present result with that of our previous study on the SBS triblock copolymer, we find that the formation of the inverted phase has little bearing on the chain architecture. We performed numerical calculations for the free energy of block copolymer cylinders and found that the normal phase is always preferred irrespective of the interaction parameter and molecular weight, which suggests the formation of the inverted phase to have a kinetic origin.

Theoretical estimation of thermodynamic properties of the system PS/PPO on the basis of modified combining rule of Sanchez-Lacombe lattice fluid model

The three scaling parameters described in Sanchez-Lacombe lattice fluid theory (SLLFT), T*, P* and rho* of pure polystyrene (PS), pure poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) and their mixtures are obtained by fitting corresponding experimental pressure volume-temperature data with equation-of-state of SLLFT. A modified combining rule in SLLFT used to match the volume per mer, v* of the PS/PPO mixtures was advanced and the enthalpy of mixing and Flory-Huggins (FH) interaction parameter were calculated using the new rule. It is found that the difference between the new rule and the old one presented by Sanchez and Lacombe is quite small in the calculation of the enthalpy of mixing and FH interaction parameter and the effect of volume-combining rule on the calculation of thermodynamic properties is much smaller than that of energy-combining rule. But the relative value of interaction parameter changes much due to the new volume-based combining rule. This effect can affect the position of phase diagram very much, which is reported elsewhere [Macromolecules 34 (2001) 6291]

Theoretical representation of shear and pressure influence on the phase separation behavior of PVME/PS mixture

In the framework of lattice fluid model, the Gibbs energy and equation of state are derived by introducing the energy (E-s) stored during flow for polymer blends under shear. From the calculation of the spinodal of poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) and polystyrene (PS) mixtures, we have found the influence of E., an equation of state in pure component is inappreciable, but it is appreciable in the mixture. However, the effect of E, on phase separation behavior is extremely striking. In the calculation of spinodal for the PVME/PS system, a thin, long and banana miscibility gap generated by shear is seen beside the miscibility gap with lower critical solution temperature. Meanwhile, a binodal coalescence of upper and lower miscibility gaps is occurred. The three points of the three-phase equilibrium are forecasted. The shear rate dependence of cloud point temperature at a certain composition is discussed. The calculated results are acceptable compared with the experiment values obtained by Higgins et at. However, the maximum positive shift and the minimum negative shift of cloud point temperature guessed by Higgins are not obtained, Furthermore, the combining effects of pressure and shear on spinodal shift are predicted.

Observation of inverted phases in poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) triblock copolymer by solvent-induced order-disorder phase transition

We report observation of inverted phases consisting of spheres and/or cylinders of the majority fraction block in a poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) triblock copolymer by solvent-induced order-disorder phase transition (ODT). The SBS sample has a molecular weight of 140K Da and a polystyrene (PS) weight fraction of 30%. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to study the copolymer microstructure of a set of solution-cast SBS films dried with different solvent evaporation rates, R. The control with different R leads to kinetic frozen-in of microstructures corresponding to a different combination parameter chi (eff)Z of the drying films (where chi (eff) is the effective interaction parameter of the polymer solution in the cast film and Z the number of "blobs" of size equal to the correlation length one block copolymer chain contains), for which faster evaporation rates result in microstructures of smaller chi (eff)Z. As R was decreased from rapid evaporations (similar to0.1 mL/h), the microstructure evolved from a totally disordered one sequentially to inverted phases consisting of spheres and then cylinders of polybutadiene (PB) in a PS matrix and finally reached the equilibrium phase, namely cylinders of PS in a PB matrix. We interpret the formation of inverted phases as due to the increased relative importance of entropy as chi (eff)Z is decreased, which may dominate the energy penalty for having a bigger interfacial area between the immiscible blocks in the inverted phases.