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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Molecular Entanglement and Electrospinnability of Biopolymers
Published on: September 3, 2014
Viscoelastic effects in relaxation processes of concentration fluctuations in dynamically asymmetric polymer blends
Mikihito Takenaka1, Hiroyuki Takeno, Hirokazu Hasegawa
1Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
Abstract:
Relaxation processes of the concentration fluctuations induced by a rapid pressure change were investigated for a dynamically asymmetric polymer blend [deuterated polybutadiene (DPB)/polyisoprene (PI)] with a composition of 50-50 by weight by using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering. The pressure change was carried out inside the single-phase of the blend with the cell designed for polymeric systems under high pressure and temperature. Time change in the scattered intensity distribution with wave number (q) during the relaxation processes was found to be approximated by Cahn-Hilliard-Cook linearized theory. The theoretical analysis yielded the q dependence of Onsager kinetic coefficient that is characterized by the q(-2) dependence at q(xi)(ve)>1 with the characteristic length xi(ve) (with xi(ve) being the viscoelastic length) being much larger than radius of gyration of DPB or PI. The estimated xi(ve) agrees well with that calculated using the Doi and Onuki theory that takes into account the viscoelastic effects arising from the dynamical asymmetry between the component polymers in the relaxation of concentration fluctuations.
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