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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Thermodynamically induced shear degradation

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The shear degradation of polymers in semiconcentrated solutions is viewed as a function of solvent quality. It is shown that the deterioration of the thermodynamic quality of the solvent leads to a marked flow resistance due to an increasing number of contacts between the chains. This may be probed by viscosimetric measurements as well as by degradation experiments (“thermodynamically induced shear degradation”). For a detailed discussion of this phenomenon the experimental setup for the mechanochemical experiment is outlined first, followed by a survey of the kinetics of chain scission. Finally, experiments mostly obtained on polystyrene in the theta-solvent trans-decalin are discussed. The results of mechanochemical investigations together with those of viscosimetric investigations are shown to provide useful information on polymer dynamics at high shear rates in semiconcentrated solutions.