Monodisperse macromolecules – A stepping stone to understanding industrial polymers

Polymers synthesized via anionic polymerization have proved important to our fundamental understanding of the processing, that is rheology and crystallisation, of bulk commodity polymers. The role of monodisperse hydrogenated polybutadienes as models for linear and branched polyethylene is examined. Systematic studies of the effects of long-chain branching, using well-defined “comb” materials have improved our understanding of how the number and length of branches affect the rheological properties and how these features impact on their crystallization behaviour. A combination of techniques including rheology, Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), and birefringence measurements have provided insight into role of linear long chains in the formation of oriented morphologies during the crystallization of hydrogenated polybutadiene blends of controlled polydispersity leading to the development of a quantitative model.