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Assignment 1 F13

This document contains 8 problems about polymer science and properties for a chemical engineering assignment. The problems cover topics like structural formulas of polymers, degree of polymerization, molecular weight calculations, crystallinity calculations, interaction constants, calibration curves, intrinsic viscosity, and light scattering data.

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90 views

Assignment 1 F13

This document contains 8 problems about polymer science and properties for a chemical engineering assignment. The problems cover topics like structural formulas of polymers, degree of polymerization, molecular weight calculations, crystallinity calculations, interaction constants, calibration curves, intrinsic viscosity, and light scattering data.

Uploaded by

88l8
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 541

INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER SCIENCE AND PROPERTIES

ASSIGNMENT #1

1.

Show the structural formulae of the following polymers and classify them according to:
Architecture

: linear, branched, network

Processing

: thermoplastic, thermosetting

Method of formation

: addition, condensation

(a) Polystyrene
(b) Polyethylene
(c) Polyethylene Terephthalate
(d) Nylon 6
(e) Polycarbonate
(f) Polybutadiene

2.

A polymer sample contains an equal number of moles of species with degrees of


polymerization r = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
What is the number-average (rN) and weight-average (rW) degree of polymerization?

3.

Three samples of polymer are mixed without reaction. Calculate M


n and M
w for the
mixture:
Sample
________

M
n

M
w

Weight in mixture (gr)

________

________

_____________________

1.2 x 105

4.5 x 105

200

5.6 x 105

8.9 x 105

200

10.0 x 105

10.0 x 105

100

4.

The crystalline density of polyethylene is 1,000 kg/m3 and the density of amorphous
polyethylene is 865 kg/m3. Calculate the degree of crystallinity in a sample of linear
PE of density 970 kg/m3 and in a sample of branched PE of density 917 kg/m3.
Why do the two samples have considerably different crystallinities?

5.

Calculate values of the polystyrene-solvent interaction constants, 1, for the samples


discussed in Figure 1.

6.

The following data on intrinsic viscosities and elution volumes from a gel permeation
chromatograph at 250C for standard polystyrene samples dissolved in tetrahydrofuran
(THF) have been reported:

M
w x 10-3

867

411

206.7

125.0

29.8

31.4

173

98.2

51

19.85

10.3

5.0

67.0

43.6

27.6

14.0

8.8

5.2

35.4

37.3

39.9

43.8

46.8

(g/mol)

[n]
(cm3/g)
1
3
V e (cm )
5

50.7

The Mark-Houwink constants for poly(vinyl bromide) in THF at 25oC may be taken as
K = 1.59 x 10-2 cm3/g and a = 0.64. Construct an appropriate GPC calibration curve
(i.e., log (MW) versus Ve for poly(vinyl bromide) in THF.

7.

The relative flow times (t/to ) of a PMMA polymer solution in chloroform are:

Conc. (g/dl)

t/to

0.20

1.290

0.40

1.632

0.60

2.026

(a)

Determine the intrinsic viscosity

(b)

If the Mark-Houwink parameters for this system are K = 3.4 x 10-5 and a =
0.8, determine the viscosity average molecular weight of this polymer.

8.

The following light scattering data give the quantity Kc/R for solutions of cellulose
nitrate in acetone. The wavelength is = 546 nm. Calculate M
w, A2 and
using a Zimm plot.

107
Conc.

Kc
R

(ml/g)

= 45o

= 32o

= 17o 30

0.0088

69.8

49.0

33.0

0.0064

66.0

45.0

29.1

0.0043

62.8

42.1

25.9

(g/cm3)

<r >
2
g

Figure 1

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