Probing the two-stage transition upon crossing the glass transition of polystyrene by solid-state NMR

Review of Recent Developments of Glass Transition in PVC Nanocomposites

This review addresses the impact of different nanoadditives on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is a widely used industrial polymer. The relatively high Tg limits its temperature-dependent applications. The objective of the review is to present the state-of-the-art knowledge on the influence of nanofillers of various origins and dimensions on the Tg of the PVC. The Tg variations induced by added nanofillers can be probed mostly by such experimental techniques as thermomechanical analysis (TMA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dielectric thermal analysis (DETA). The increase in Tg is commonly associated with the use of mineral and carbonaceous nanofillers. In this case, a rise in the concentration of nanoadditives leads to an increase in the Tg due to a restraint of the PVC macromolecular chain's mobility. The lowering of Tg may be attributed to the well-known plasticizing effect, which is a consequence of the incorporation of oligomeric silsesquioxanes to the polymeric matrix. It has been well established that the variation in the Tg value depends also on the chemical modification of nanofillers and their incorporation into the PVC matrix. This review may be an inspiration for further investigation of nanofillers' effect on the PVC glass transition temperature.

Probing the glass transition in reversible cross-linked polymer composites

Understanding the nature of glass transition is still a great challenge.

Study on the Glass Transition Process of Polymer System Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

The change in the infrared spectrum of polymer samples with temperature and their differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experimental results are analyzed. According to the van't Hoff equation at constant pressure, the changes in the absorbance ratio corresponding to high and low vibrational states are calculated, and the apparent enthalpy differences of the vibration energy states transformation of the characteristic group can be obtained. From the experimental results, we can find that characteristic vibration modes of a chemical group in a polymer are under the influence of the glass transition process of the polymer with a different extent. The characteristic vibration modes of the same chemical group behave differently due to the influence of the polymer system at which the chemical moiety is situated.

Phase structure and dynamics of polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) blend studied using solid-state NMR

In this work, solid-state ¹H NMR experiments were conducted to fully characterize the dynamic characteristics of a polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) blend with a mass ratio of 3 : 1 (PS/PVME 75/25).