Effect of Molecular Weight, Shape of the Molecule, and Presence of Polar Groups on the Autohesion of High Polymers. III

Abstract

Abstract 1. It is shown for polyisobutylenes of different molecular weight that increase in the size of the chain molecule retards autohesion, but increases the limiting value to which the work of autohesion tends with increasing contact time. 2. Investigation of the temperature dependence of autohesion of polyisobutylenes showed that the activation energy does not depend on the molecular weight of the polyisobutylene. 3. It is shown for polybutadienes with varying contents of 1,4- and 1,2-structures that autohesion decreases with increase in the number of short side groups in the molecule, which apparently hinder diffusion by purely steric causes. 4. Investigation of the temperature dependence of autohesion of butadienenitrile copolymers with different contents of acrylonitrile in the molecule showed that the activation energy of autohesion increases with increase of polar nitrile groups in the polymer. 5. It is shown for the vulcanization of natural rubber that the formation of a spatial structure results in complete disappearance of autohesion in high polymers. It is shown that the kinetics of changes of autohesion during vulcanization can effectively characterize the structural changes which take place in the polymer during the process.