Glass Transition Behavior of Wet Polymers

We have performed a systematical investigation on the glass transition behavior of amorphous polymers with different solvent concentrations. Acrylate-based amorphous polymers are synthesized and treated by isopropyl alcohol to obtain specimens with a homogenous solvent distribution. The small strain dynamic mechanical tests are then performed to obtain the glass transition behaviors. The results show that the wet polymers even with a solvent concentration of more than 60 wt.% still exhibit a glass transition behavior, with the glass transition region shifting to lower temperatures with increasing solvent concentrations. A master curve of modulus as a function of frequency can be constructed for all the polymer-solvent systems via the time-temperature superposition principle. The relaxation time and the breadth of the relaxation spectrum are then obtained through fitting the master curve using a fractional Zener model. The results indicate that the breadth of the relaxation spectrum has been greatly expanded in the presence of solvents, which has been rarely reported in the literature. Thus, this work can potentially advance the fundamental understanding of the effects of solvent on the glass transition behaviors of amorphous polymers.