A Center for Advanced Electrical and Structural Polymers

Abstract

Abstract : Research in the U.R.I. has been organized into five thrust areas each comprising collateral and coordinated investigations in three departments at UMass and at Wright State University, Foster Miller Inc. and MIT. Electrical properties of pi-conjugated polymers are the focus of one thrust and are defined in terms of their structure-property relationships as well as long term applications. A prototypical polymer has been poly-p-phenylene vinylene. A second thrust has concentrated on non-linear optical effects in pi-conjugated and side chain liquid crystal polymers containing chromophoric mesogens which have been synthesized and characterized, as have low-molecular weight model compounds of systematically varying structure. The third thrust has focused on polymer blends and alloys including high temperature novel processible systems for application in extreme conditions. Miscibility studies in conventional model polymers has continued to yield insights into the fundamental principles underlying polymer-polymer interactions. A computer simulation project has complemented these studies. The thrust on novel macromolecular architecture and characterization has produced a range of new systems and techniques including measurements of polymer dynamics in constricted geometries, and detailed fine- structure investigations of block copolymers. A thrust on new processing technologies has largely centered on the FMI initiatives with respect to novel approaches for high temperature polymer blend melts.