Dynamic mechanical properties of poly(monocyclohexyl itaconate)

Accurate dynamic mechanical measurements were performed on poly(monocyclohexyl itaconate) at different frequencies over a wide temperature range. Three main relaxations could be observed at different temperatures, which were labelled as γ, β and α relaxations. The γ relaxation was attributed to the motions of the cyclohexyl group, specifically to the chair-chair flipping of the ring; and the β relaxation to the rotation of the side carboxylic groups. In order to analyse α relaxation a mechanical model was used which considered an isotropic continuum containing spherical isotropic non-interacting particles. Qualitative validity of this hypothesis was found and the results were consistent with the dielectric data obtained for the same polymer.