Correlation of Polymer Performance to Hansen Solubility by Group Contributions

摘要

There have been innumerable studies showing the performance of material by glass transition temperature (T_g) and they have proven to be useful. However, in some cases, there is not a clear correlation between performance and T_g. In fact, there are cases where performance is not well defined by T_g alone, hence the need to attempt to correlate performance to monomer composition. Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP) has been used for multiple purposes, including solvent selection, chemical resistance, and polymer compatibility in multiple fields including coatings science. The purpose of this study is to determine if HSP (6d for dispersion forces, 6p for polar forces and 6h for hydrogen bond contribution) can be utilized to predict physical performance of formulated systems, such as coatings or grouting materials, based upon the polymer solubility parameters. This study will first focus upon the correlation of performance properties of chain-growth vinyl and/or acrylate polymers to T_g. In an effort to gain a better understanding of performance versus polymer content, the evaluation will be continued with a second phase by attempting to correlate performance to HSP. Evaluating performance by monomer composition is a daunting task, which is why solubility parameters are useful since they take into account the chemical components of the monomers. Since polymer solubility parameters cannot be directly measured, Van Krevelen's Group Contribution Theory (GCT) and HSP will be used to estimate polymer solubility parameters and then an attempt will be made to correlate these parameters to polymer performance.