Polyolefin Miscibility: Using Novel Chain Level Experiments to Create Miscible Blends

技术总结。 Jeffery L.教授白色的研究小组已经开发了新的见解，复杂的相行为的聚烯烃混合物的基本起源。 利用具有链级分辨率的先进固态NMR实验，他的研究首次在多种聚烯烃共混物中确定了熵驱动的可溶解性。 然而，链和组成单体结构之间的直接联系以及在大分子中混合所需的正构型熵尚未建立，特别是对于商业上最相关的聚烯烃混合物。 在下一个资助期内，白色教授和同事将使用最近开发的先进的磁共振方法对固体聚合物共混物，与聚合物合成和热分析，以确定所需的结构参数，以创建在聚丙烯，聚乙烯及其共聚物的各种混合物混溶共混物。 总的来说，这类聚合物代表了最具经济价值的一类大分子。 Jeffery白色教授和他的研究小组采取了一项长期战略，以了解如何创造重要的聚合物材料，其性能对经济应用具有吸引力。 他利用先进的实验，揭示了复杂有机材料最重要的基本方面，证明了理想的新材料实际上是如何从它们的单个组分形成稳定的结构的。 这类被称为聚烯烃的有机聚合物对美国经济非常有价值，只有通过创造新材料才能进入新市场和应用。 白色教授和他的研究小组使用在实验室学到的技术，以及过去的工业经验，教育小学学生和他们的老师对科学的好处，以社会。 具体而言，白色博士创造了一种称为“I-PROD”的新颖的新教学工具，以引起年轻学生对从事科学和工程职业的兴趣，并帮助解决未来国内技术竞争力问题，最近的美国竞争力倡议强调了这一点。

Technical Summary. Professor Jeffery L. White's research group has developed new insights into the fundamental origins of complex phase behaviors in mixtures of polyolefins. Using advanced solid-state NMR experiments with chain-level resolution, his research first identified entropically-driven miscibility in multiple polyolefin blends. However, the direct connections between chain and constituent monomer structure and required positive configurational entropies of mixing in macromolecules have not been established, particularly for mixtures of polyolefins that are most commercially relevant. During the next funding period, Professor White and coworkers will use recently-developed advanced magnetic resonance methods on solid polymer blends, in concert with polymer synthesis and thermal analysis, to identify the structural parameters needed to create miscible blends in various mixtures of polypropylenes, polyethylenes, and their copolymers. Collectively, such polymers represent the most economically valuable class of macromolecules.Non-Technical Summary. Professor Jeffery White and his research group have adopted a long-term strategy to understand how to create important polymer materials whose properties are attractive for economic applications. Using advanced experiments that unravel the most important fundamental aspects of complex organic materials, he has demonstrated how desirable new materials actually form stable structures from their individual components. This class of organic polymers, known as polyolefins, is extremely valuable to the U.S. economy, with new markets and applications accessible only through creation of new materials. Professor White and his research group use the techniques learned in the laboratory, as well as past industrial experiences, to educate elementary school students and their teachers on the benefits of science to society. Specifically, Dr. White has created a novel new teaching tool, called "I-PROD", to interest young students in pursuing science and engineering careers and help address future domestic competitiveness in technology, as highlighted in the recent American Competitive Initiative.