INTERMOLECULAR AND INTRAMOLECULAR INTERACTIONS IN THE DIELECTRIC BEHAVIOR OF PHENYL AND CHLOROPHENYL ESTERS OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID)

The dipolar correlation factors that account for the inter- and intramolecular interactions in phenyl and chlorophenyl esters of poly(acrylic acid) are determined. The strength of the beta and alpha-relaxations in the frequency domain become comparable in the polymers with asymmetric flexible side groups, so that both relaxations presumably coalesce into a single alpha-beta-absorption at T >> T(g). The total correlation factors for both the alpha + beta and the beta-processes are obtained from the relaxed and unrelaxed dielectric permittivities for the alpha and beta relaxations. The intramolecular interactions are analyzed by using statistical mechanics procedures.