FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE VISTEX METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE INTRINSIC VISCOSITY OF HIGH POLYMERS

Abstract

The intrinsic "vistex" viscosities of several series of butadiene–styrene copolymers of varying conversion and average molecular weight, dissolved directly from the latex in the vistex solvent mixture (toluene–isopropanol, 80/20 by volume), have been investigated and compared with the intrinsic viscosities of the corresponding coagulated, dried polymers dissolved in toluene. The intrinsic viscosity in toluene, [η]T, is related to the intrinsic vistex viscosity, [η]V, in toluene–isopropanol by the equation:—[Formula: see text]Hence, viscosity average molecular weight may be calculated from vistex measurements.A further development of the method has shown that, once the latex is dissolved in the vistex solvent, the solution may be diluted, within certain denned limits, by the addition of pure solvent (toluene) to obtain the several levels of concentration of polymer required for the determination of intrinsic viscosity. It is then possible, by extrapolation to zero concentration of polymer, to obtain a value for the intrinsic viscosity that is equal to the conventional intrinsic viscosity of the polymer in pure solvent after coagulation and drying under very mild conditions. The viscosity characteristics of butadiene–styrene copolymers of varying conversion appear to be represented, at conversions below the gel point, by the equation,[Formula: see text]where β′ and n are constants of the order of 0.25 and 1 for solutions in toluene and 0.1 and 2.5 respectively for vistex solutions. Distinct changes in β and/or n have been found at conversions in the region of and beyond the gel point.