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Tightly-Bound Polymers
September 22, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm PDT
Free – $5
- Prof. Frank Blum, Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University
- Sponsored by the Golden Gate Polymer Forum
- 6:30-7:30pm, Online via Zoom, Free/$5 donation, Registration required (Registration deadline: September 21st at 1pm)
Abstract:
Tightly-bound polymer can be described as those polymer segments near a solid surface with which they have a strong attraction. Compared to bulk segments, they have reduced mobility, smaller heat capacity, and broadened-elevated glass transitions. The distance scale for such a polymer interphase in several systems was determined to be around 1 nm. Nevertheless, they can have a significant effect on the properties of composites. Their small scale makes them difficult to characterize with most techniques normally used in polymer composites. To highlight the effects of these tiny interphases, we have used large specific surface area substrates (nanoparticles such as silica, alumina and graphene oxide) with small adsorbed amounts of polymer. Typically, we have used polymers which hydrogen bond to the substrates. To probe both the dynamics and structure of the interphase we have used FTIR, deuterium NMR, calorimetry, and molecular simulations. We find that this combination of techniques can give us some significant insight into these important interphases. For example, they may have glass transitions which can be 40 to 100 °C wide!
Speaker Background & Research Interests:
Frank D. Blum, Harrison I. Bartlett Chair and Regents’ Professor of Chemistry at Oklahoma State University has research interests in materials science and surface chemistry. His work has focused on the molecular motion and physical properties of polymers and surface-active agents at interfaces. He has also headed an interdisciplinary group to make polymer composites from used carpets and beverage bottles. Frank is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and a Fellow of the Division of Polymer Chemistry (POLY), Inc. His ACS National service includes: Chair of the Committee on Nominations and Elections and the Divisional Activities Committees. Frank has also served as Councilor from the South Central Missouri Section and Polymer Division of the ACS for 30 years. For POLY, he served as Assistant Editor of Polymer Preprints, Secretary, and in the Chair succession (Chair in 1999). The Division awarded him both a Distinguished Service Award and Special Service Award. He received his BS and MS degrees from Eastern Illinois University in 1976 and 1977, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1981.