Polymers in mechanochemical systems: structure-property requirements. Progress report, June 1, 1980-May 31, 1981

This initial phase of the contract period has been devoted to the preparation of a cis-polyisoprene sample for crystallization studies; design and construction of instrumentation to carry out investigations of crystallization kinetics and melting under uniaxial and biaxial deformation, as well as preliminary studies of mechanical properties of polyethylene with controlled supermolecular structures. We report the details of the instrument design, the demonstration that reproducible results can be obtained for both types of deformation and early findings which indicate the direction of more detailed studies. The initial studies of the mechanical properties have established the conditions necessary to obtain reproducible results; the fact that the supermolecular structures exert an influence and the other structural and morphological variables that will be of importance