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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/K79574/01
Title: PREDICTION OF LONG TERM PHYSICAL AGING OF POLYMER BLENDS WITH & WITHOUT SPECIFIC INTERACTIONS
Principal Investigator: Cowie, Professor I
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Sch of Engineering and Physical Science
Organisation: Heriot-Watt University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 15 April 1996 Ends: 14 June 1999 Value (£): 136,828
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Physical ageing in miscible polymer blends, several of industrial interest will e studied in the temperature range (Tg-5K) to (Tg-25K) using enthalpy, volume and stress relaxation techniques. The application of the Cowie-Ferguson equation to predict long term ageing from these thermally accelerated measurements will be assessed and the equation modified if improvements are deemed necessary. Some co-continuos two phase commercial blends will also be examined and compared with the one phase system. Of particular interest is the effect of hydrogen bonding on physical ageing in blends as our preliminary studies have highlighted anomalous behaviour in these systems and a better understanding of the effects of specific intermolecular interactions on the relaxation of individual components in polymer blends will be sought. Collaboration with two other laboratories on different aspects of the theoretical modelling of ageing in polymers will be ongoing and should provide a deeper understanding of the processes involved.
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Organisation Website: http://www.hw.ac.uk