Rheological studies of poly (propylene carbonate)

Abstract

This study was to investigate the rheological properties of a new polymer derived from carbon dioxide or otherwise known as poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC).The rheological properties of the PPCs were measured using a melt ARES rheometer with parallel plate geometry. The effects of molecular weight, shear rate (or frequency) and temperature on melt viscosity of Poly (propylene carbonate) were studied. The viscosity of the PPCs increased with increasing molecular weight. The molecular weight was found to play a key role in the rheological behavior of the PPCs. Moreover, the PPC with the high molecular weights was more sensitive to the temperature and shear rate than those with low molecular weight. The melt viscosity of the PPC with the low molecular weight decreased dramatically with increasing temperature.