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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N01958/01
Title: AN INVESTIGATION OF SEMICRYSTALLINITY IN POLYMERS USING LABELLED AND STAR-BRANCHED LONG ALKANES
Principal Investigator: Ungar, Professor G
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Materials Science and Engineering
Organisation: University of Sheffield
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 07 July 2000 Ends: 06 July 2003 Value (£): 157,129
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing Chemicals
Electronics No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Studies of long monodisperse normal alkanes have had a major impact on the field of polymer crystallization and morphology. This proposal is part of a joint programme by the Universities of Durham, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam and Nottingham with the aim of extending the scope of these studies using our joint expertise in chemical synthesis and physical characterisation. The Durham group has already successfully synthesised a number of the alkanes necessary for the research proposed here. The insertion of chemical probes will allow the application of a broad range of experimental techniques to recently discovered, while the introduction of new molecular architectures will result in entirely new morphologies. For example, to investigate the relative stability of the semicrystalline (crystalline-amorphous) double layer and produce new double and triple-layer superlattices, different three-branch (Y-shaped) alkanes will be studied. In order to complement SAXS and Raman LAM studies, two linear and one branched alkane have been end-capped with C12D25 labels for neutron scattering, NMR and IR experiments designed to probe the location, conformation, mobility and the environment of chain ends. This research will provide answers to a number of questions regarding chain folding, ciliation, crystalline-amorphous interface, surface roughness, chain tilt etc.
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Organisation Website: http://www.shef.ac.uk