Characterization of frequency-dependent glass transition temperature by Vogel–Fulcher relationship

Abstract

The complex mechanical modulus of polymer and polymer based composite materials showed a frequency-dependent behaviour during glass transition relaxation, which was historically modelled by the Arrhenius equation. However, this might not be true in a broad frequency domain based on the experience from the frequency dependence of the complex dielectric permittivity, which resulted from the same glass transition relaxation as for the complex mechanical modulus. Considering a good correspondence between dielectric and mechanical relaxation during glass transition, the Vogel–Fulcher relationship, previously proposed for the frequency dependence of dielectric permittivity, is introduced for that of the mechanical modulus; and the corresponding static glass transition temperature (Tf) was first determined for polymer and polymer based composite materials.