STUDY OF SOLUTION PROPERTIES OF POLY(ALPHA-METHYL STYRENE) IN VARIOUS SOLVENTS BY DILUTE-SOLUTION VISCOMETRY

The values of Mark-Houwink-Sakurada constants were determined for poly(alpha-methyl styrene) (P alpha Ms) of high and low molecular weights in a variety of solvents by a new approach, which requires only polydisperse samples. The results are in accord with those reported in the literature. In addition, the present work reports the values of the Flory interaction parameter for P alpha Ms in 13 solvents of distinct solvent power at various temperatures. Three refined methods pertaining to both polar and nonpolar solvents were applied to estimate the solubility parameter (delta(2)) of P alpha Ms resulting in delta(2) = 18.75+/-0.15 (J/mL)(1/2) at 30 degrees C. Finally, the scatter data of the Huggins coefficient over a range of expansion factors varying from 0.7 to 2.6 seem to conform better to a newly proposed empirical equation than to the contemporary model after Imai. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.