Fluorescence Studies of Polystyrene in Polystyrene/Poly(vinyl methyl ether) Blends and Multilayers Thesis Open Access

Boyce-Smith, Sandra Jessica (2010)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/8p58pd77t?locale=en
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Abstract

The study of the glass transition in miscible blends is an important area of polymer research because this transition is crucial to understanding miscible blend behavior. There are two main theoretical ideas, self-concentration and thermal concentration fluctuations, that define blend component behavior during the glass transition and the relevant length scale of blend interactions. This project has two parts that use a relatively new fluorescence technique to measure the glass transition temperature ( Tg) of individual components within polymer blends with the aim of providing insight into miscible blend Tg behavior. In part one, the Tg of polystyrene (PS) was measured in bulk PS/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blends for a range of compositions, and in part two, the Tg deviation with varying distance from a PS/PVME interface in a four-layer PS/PVME system was investigated. Unfortunately, there were experimental issues in both parts of the project that will require some re-measuring of the data presented.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 The Glass Transition and Miscible Blends ............................................................ 1 Tg Measurement Techniques ........................................................................... 2 Miscible Blend Behavior .................................................................................. 5 Self-Concentration and Thermal Concentration Fluctuations ................................... 6 Interfaces and Multilayer Systems .................................................................... 8 Purpose ........................................................................................................ 10 II. Experimental ............................................................................................ 10 Pyrene Monomer Synthesis ............................................................................. 10 Polymer Synthesis .......................................................................................... 11 Part I........................................................................................................... 11 Part II.......................................................................................................... 11 Sample Preparation ....................................................................................... 12 Part I........................................................................................................... 12 Part II.......................................................................................................... 12 Fluorimeter Procedure .................................................................................... 13 III. Results and Discussion .............................................................................. 14 Part I .......................................................................................................... 14 Part II.......................................................................................................... 20 IV. Conclusions .............................................................................................. 22 Part I .......................................................................................................... 22 Part II ......................................................................................................... 23 References .................................................................................................. 25

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