Phase Behavior, Chain Packing, and Local Dynamics in Solid Polyolefin Blends

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to understand the role of polymer composition, chain architecture, and individual chain dynamics in determining local structure at length scales less than the radius of gyration in the solid state for polyolefin blends. Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance will be the chief tool used to interrogate the morphology and dynamics in selected blends. Magnetic resonance is ideally suited for selectively probing structure and dynamics in macromolecules, even for polymer blends prepared without any special isotopic labeling schemes. The result of this work will be a detailed understanding of structure/miscibility relationships for solid polyolefin blends at the chain level, which should lead to novel blend compositions based on designed chain architectures, and therefore, new and industrially useful materials. Graduate and undergraduate research students will apply the latest instrumentation and polymer synthesis techniques, and strong industrial relationships in this area will afford ample opportunity for working collaborations. In turn, they will share these experiences with middle school students in the North Carolina State University area as part of a project to develop programs for exposing these students to exciting aspects of polymer science. Polymers are a class of materials made from extremely large molecules that find applications in many important commercial areas ranging from food packaging to aerospace composites. Within this class of materials are the saturated hydrocarbon polymers, or polyolefins, which are among the most economically important industrial polymers. The research students trained in the "science" of designing new polymeric materials will be very competitive for employment opportunities in both the industrial and academic sectors.