Temperature dependence of alpha glass transition cooperativity

The size of glass transition cooperativity for 11 polymers and glycerol is determined from heat capacity spectroscopy (HCS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) by using a calorimetric fluctuation formula. The data cover in total the 0.25 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.95 part of the reduced temperature interval between the Vogel temperature and a cooperativity onset temperature. A steep cooperativity increase at lower temperature is observed. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the temperature dependence can be described by the enlargement of a minimal cooperativity at the onset.