INFLUENCE OF MOLECULAR-WEIGHT ON THE GLASS-TRANSITION TEMPERATURE AND THE MELT RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF METHYL-METHACRYLATE TELOMERS

The synthesis of MMA telomers with different chain terminations can lead to a wide range of molecular weights. This study deals with the thermal and melt viscoelastic behaviours of such telomers. We investigated the viscosity-molecular weight relationship and took into account the chemical nature of the end group on the critical molecular weight (molecular weight beyond which entanglements occur). Two chain terminations with different chemical structures were investigated and the rheological parameters obtained with methyl methacrylate telomers were compared to those obtained with standard poly(methyl methacrylate) with the same molecular weight.