Studies on the High Polymer Solution

VI. The Solution Viscosities of Polyethylene-Polystyrene Mixture and Styrene Graft Polyethylene Prepared by γ-Ray Irradiation

Abstract

Polyethylene and polystyrene were mechanically mixed and the solution viscosity of the mixture was measured. Grafts of styrene to polyethylene were prepared in a heterogeneous phase by r-ray irradiation and the solution viscosities of the grafts were compared with those of the polyethylene-polystyrene mixture. The solution viscosities of the mixture were less than those calculated for the ideal mixture of homopolymers of the same molecular weight: there was siginificant decrease for the mixture containing smaller quantity of polystyrene. On the other hand, the solution viscosity of the mixture of polyethylenes of the different molecular weights was the same as that calculated for the ideal mixture and it was found that the additivity of the solution viscosities was confirmed for the mixture of the same homopolymers. The solution viscosity of the graft was higher than that of the mixture and the limiting viscosity number of the graft increased with the quantity of the graft per molecule. The structure of the graft polymer was discussed from the experimental results described above.