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Tensile Properties and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Investigation of Stereoblock Elastomeric Polypropylene

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/799990· OSTI ID:799990
Elastomeric polypropylene (ePP) produced from unbridged 2-arylindene metallocene catalysts was studied by uniaxial tensile and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. The ePP can be separated into three fractions by successive boiling-solvent fractionation method to yield: a low-tacticity fraction soluble in ether (ES), an intermediate-tacticity fraction soluble in heptane (HS), and a high-tacticity fraction insoluble in heptane (HI). Tensile properties of ePP were compared to its solvent fractions, and the role of each solvent fraction residing within ePP was investigated by blending 5 weight % deuterated fraction with ePP. The tensile properties of each fraction vary considerably, exhibiting properties from a weak gum elastomer for ES, to a semi-crystalline thermoplastic for HI. The intermediate-tacticity HS fraction exhibits elastic properties similar to the parent elastomer (ePP). In the melt at 160 C, SANS shows that all deuterated fractions are homogeneously mixed with ePP in a one-phase system. At 25 C upon a slow cooling from the melt, the low-tacticity fraction is preferentially segregated in the amorphous domains induced by different crystallization temperatures and kinetics of the deuterated ES and high-tacticity components. The high-tacticity component within ePP (dHI-ePP) retains its plastic properties in the blend. Despite its low crystallinity ({le} 2%), the low-tacticity fraction can co-crystallize with the crystalline matrix. The dES-ePP shows little or no relaxation when held under strain and recovers readily upon the release of stress.
Research Organization:
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
799990
Report Number(s):
SLAC-PUB-9348
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English