EPSRC Reference: |
GR/R69457/01 |
Title: |
Investigation of Dynamic Dilution in the melt diffusion of star polymers |
Principal Investigator: |
Clarke, Professor N |
Other Investigators: |
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Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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Project Partners: |
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Department: |
Chemistry |
Organisation: |
Durham, University of |
Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
Starts: |
02 April 2002 |
Ends: |
01 October 2005 |
Value (£): |
294,015
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EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
Materials Characterisation |
Materials Synthesis & Growth |
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EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
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Related Grants: |
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Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Star polymers with 4 arms, the molecular weight of the arms spanning the range of 1 to 30 times the entanglement molecular weight will be synthesised. These well defined polymers will be used to examine the dynamic dilution theory of the melt dynamics of star polymers by combining results from ion beam analysis measurements of self-diffusion coefficients with data from mechanical relaxation spectrometry. The polymers to be used, polystyrene and polyethylene oxide stars, are not 'thermorheologically complex' and thus the data will not suffer from the ambiguities of the sole set of data currently published. The mechanical relaxation spectrometry will provide the zero shear viscosity and the full relaxation spectrum of the polymer melts. The combination of the self-diffusion coefficients and the zero-shear viscosity will be used to examine quantitatively a recent theory of dynamic dilution of star polymer melt dynamics. This theory predicts very different dependences on the arm molecular weight compared to that in the absence of dynamic dilution. The first determinations of the tracer diffusion coefficients for a star polymer diffusing into a star polymer of different arm molecular weight will be made using Rutherford back scattering. Because one of the star polymers (PEO) is crystalline we will also be able to examine the influence of the proximity to the melting point on the diffusion coefficients.
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Key Findings |
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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Description |
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Summary |
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Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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Project URL: |
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Further Information: |
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