INTRINSIC-VISCOSITY OF POLYSTYRENE

In the reported experiments, zero-shear rate intrinsic viscosities left bracket eta right bracket //0 in benzene at 25 degree C and in cyclohexane at 34. 5 degree C were measured for two series of polystyrene samples: six fractions ranging in M//w (weight-average molecular weight) from 8. 8 multiplied by 10**6 to 5. 7 multiplied by 10**7 and 11 ″monodisperse″ samples ranging in M//w from 4 multiplied by 10**3 to 4. 8 multiplied by 10**6. The results, combined with typical literature data, yielded correlations between mol. wt and intrinsic viscosity described by equations derived from experimental data. These relations cover the broadest range of molecular weights reported so far in the literature on synthetic polymers. In contrast to Slagowski et al. , the authors observe no ″anomaly″ in the molecular weight dependence of left bracket eta right bracket //0 for benzene solutions of very high molecular weight samples ( greater than 10**7).