Robert L. Kruse

Crazes in osmium tetroxide stained styrene polymers

Crazes in polystyrene and rubber modified polystyrene became opaque in the electron microscope after films of the polymers are exposed to osmium tetroxide. The osmium tetroxide with the polystyrene in the crazes is shown to form a flexible insoluble material that is easily folded and twisted without breaking.

Comb-shaped polymers as effective flow modifiers for thermoplastic polymers

Peculiarities of the rheological properties of blends composed of thermoplastic polymer and polyacrylates are studied. The comparison of blends containing comb-shaped polymers of differing side-chain lengths shows that the flow mechanism changes with shortening side-group length. This leads to higher viscosity and elasticity of the combshaped component and, at the same time, results in the dramatic decrease in the blend viscosity, even at combshaped additive low content.

Rheology behavior of nematic side-chain polymers in blends with thermoplasts

Peculiarities of the rheological behavior of blends composed of thermoplasts and side-chain nematic polymers have been studied. The strong role of interface interactions associated with the polymer chemical structure on the effect of rheology is shown. The influence of the nematic ordering is shown to be effective in the mechanical characteristics of blend extrudates whereas the rheology effect does not depend on the liquid crystal ordering.