Elongational viscosities of random and block copolymer melts

Abstract

The influence of random and block copolymerized structures on the uniaxial elongational viscosity was investigated. The investigated random copolymers were poly(ethylene-random-ethyl methacrylate) with comb-branched structure and poly(styrene-random-acrylonitrile) with linear structure. The studied block copolymers were poly(styrene-block-ethylenebutylene-block-styrene) with linear structure. The elongational viscosities of random copolymers showed strain-hardening properties. The strain-hardening property was influenced little by comonomer contents and depended on whether copolymers had linear or branched structures. In contrast, the elongational viscosities of block copolymers gave strain-softening properties. The strain-softening property was not affected by strain rates and block comonomer ratios. The causes of strain-hardening and -softening properties are discussed from relaxation spectrum and damping function based on the Bernstein–Kearsley–Zapas model. The damping functions of linear and branched random copolymers agreed with those of linear and branched homopolymers, respectively. On the other hand, linear block copolymers exhibited stronger damping than linear homopolymers. It was concluded that strain-hardening and -softening properties in the elongational viscosity of random and block copolymerized structures are correlated with their damping functions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 69: 1765–1774, 1998