Premium
Surface conductance, syneresis and adhesion
Author(s) -
Bikerman J. J.
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760020307
Subject(s) - syneresis , materials science , adhesion , wax , polyethylene , conductance , composite material , aqueous solution , adhesive , oleic acid , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , analytical chemistry (journal) , layer (electronics) , chromatography , chemistry , organic chemistry , biochemistry , mathematics , combinatorics , engineering
Electric surface conductivity χ of purified polyethylene wax in nearly saturated water vapor was about 8 × 10 −13 mho and in vapor of 0.5% aqueous NH 3 about 17 × 10 −12 mho. When 0.1% oleic acid (OA) was added to the wax, χ in the 0.5% NH 3 vapor was not markedly changed but it was greater at 0.2% and higher concentrations; at 1% OA it was 2 × 10 −10 mho. These results show that surface conductance (a) may be “developed” by vapors, (b) can be used to detect the onset of syneresis, and (c) is the bulk conductance of the surface film, and, further, that in the polyethylene‐OA system syneresis occurs between 0.1% and 0.2% OA as was deduced from the strength of adhesive joints made with mixtures of OA and polyethylene. Thus, the results confirm the “weak boundary layer” theory of adhesion.