Madeleine Aubin

Studies of polyester/chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) blends

Chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (CPVC) was solution blended with poly(caprolactone) (PCL), poly(hexamethylene sebacate) (PHMS), poly(α-methyl-α-n-propyl-β-propiolactone) (PMPPL), poly(valerolactone) (PVL), poly(ethylene adipate), poly(ethylene succinate) and poly(β-propiolactone). From calorimetric glass transition temperature (Tg) measurements, it is concluded that CPVC is miscible with polyesters having a CH2/COO ratio larger than three (PCL, PHMS, PMPPL and PVL). The Gordon-Taylor k parameter was also calculated and found equal to 1.0 and 0.56 for PCL/CPVC and PHMS/CPVC blends, respectively. From these values, it is concluded that CPVC gives a stronger interaction with polyesters than poly(vinyl chloride) due to its larger chlorine content.

Preparation and properties of poly(valerolactone)

Abstract A poly(valerolactone) (PVL) sample, having a weight average molecular weight of 33 × 103 g mol−1, has been prepared by an anionic polymerization using butyl lithium as initiator. This sample has a glass transition temperature of 206K and a melting point of 332K. Both of these values are very close to those found for poly(caprolactone) (PCL). PVL, as well as PCL, is miscible with poly(vinyl chloride). X-ray data, stress-strain curves, and dynamic mechanical measurements of PVL are also reported.

Calorimetric study of water in muscle tissue

Differential scanning calorimetry has been used to investigate the state of water in intact single muscle fibers of the giant barnacle, Balanus nubilus. The shapes of the melting curves suggest the presence of three types of water: unfrozen (or bound), free (or bulk) and intermediate water. The amount of unfrozen water per g protein was constant within experimental error. An increase in water content changed almost exclusively the amounts of free water. The amount of intermediate water varies only slightly with the fiber water content.