THE VISCOSITY AND ION CONDUCTIVITY OF POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE SYSTEMS .1. CHAIN-LENGTH AND ION SIZE EFFECTS

The zero-shear-rate viscosity and ion conductivity of a homologous ser ies of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) oils and six homologous series of P DMS salts of various univalent cations (sodium, potassium, tetramethyl ammonium, tetraethylammonium, tetrapropylammonium and tetrabutylammoni um) were measured over the temperature range -45-degrees-C < T < 80-de grees-C. Free volume and Arrhenius type viscosity and ion conductivity models were successfully applied to these data. The effects of polyme r chain length and ion size on the values of the best-fit model parame ters were explored.