Sudesh Y. Kamath

Segmental dynamics of miscible polymer blends: Comparison of the predictions of a concentration fluctuation model to experiment

We recently proposed a concentration fluctuation model to describe the segmental dynamics of miscible polymer blends [Kumar et al., J. Chem. Phys. 105, 3777 (1996)]. This model assumes the existence of a cooperative volume, similar to that in the Adam-Gibbs picture of the glass transition, over which segments have to reorganize in a concerted fashion to facilitate stress relaxation. No molecular theory exists for the cooperative volume. Consequently, here we critically compare two alternative functional dependences for this quantity in the context of the segmental dynamics of the most extensively studied miscible polymer blend, 1,4-polyisoprene (PI) and polyvinylethylene (PVE): (a) The Donth model, which assumes the Vogel form for the temperature dependence of relaxation processes, with a relaxation time that diverges at the Vogel temperature, roughly 50 K below the glass transition, and (b) a more recent dynamic scaling model that predicts the relaxation time diverges algebraically, only about 10 K below...

Thermodynamic signature of the onset of caged dynamics in glass-forming liquids

We examine the thermodynamics of supercooled liquids focusing on the immediate vicinity of an onset temperature, TA, where system dynamics just begin to experience caging effects. Simulation data from a polymer model and from small molecule mixtures show, in agreement with experiment, that the configurational entropy becomes strongly temperature dependent below TA. Since the diffusion coefficient follows the Adam-Gibbs relationship, our results clearly establish a thermodynamic connection to the localized dynamics of glass-forming liquids.

The effect of copolymer composition on the dynamics of random copolymers in a homopolymer matrix

The effect of copolymer composition on the dynamics of random copolymers in a homopolymer matrix is studied using computer simulations within the framework of the bond-fluctuation model on blends containing low concentrations (10%) of A-B copolymers, where A and B are two different types of monomers, dispersed in a homopolymer matrix of chains with only A-type monomers. Four copolymer compositions were studied, phi(A)=0.33, phi(A)=0.5, phi(A)=0.66, and phi(A)=0.82, while maintaining a statistically random sequence distribution. For this study, we have only included intermolecular interactions between A and B monomers. Our results indicate, in agreement with experimental data, that copolymer composition has an impact on system dynamics. Analysis of the structure reveals that copolymers with majority A content are expanded in the homopolymer matrix, have fewer interchain copolymer-copolymer contacts, and are well dispersed in the homopolymer matrix. On the other hand, copolymers with lower A content form a more compact structure, have more interchain contacts, and form aggregates that are short lived. This in turn leads to slower system dynamics. Both the radius of gyration (Rg) and copolymer end-to-end vectors (Re) increase with increasing A content until phi(A)=0.66 and then decrease. Copolymers with lower A content form more compact structures as the repulsive interactions between unlike species are minimized by the copolymers folding back on themselves and forming aggregates of copolymer chains. Thus, these results provide insight into the variation of copolymer dynamics with composition in the system by documenting the correlation between the thermodynamics of this mixture, the conformation of a copolymer chain in a homopolymer matrix, and the dynamics of both components in this blend.