Abstract
The melts of four fractions of polystyrene are investigated by the method of electric birefringence. It is found that the electro-optical properties of the melt greatly depend on the length of the polymer chain. The fractions with the highest molecular weight showed an increase in the Kerr constant K at temperatures above 120°C. The anomalous nature of the temperature dependence of the form K ∝ T is explained by the fact that at high temperatures the flexibility of the polymer chain begins to grow rapidly. This process is called the liquid-liquid transition. As a result, the short-range orientational order increases, which is associated with a change in the mutual orientation of phenyl rings.
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