STRUCTURAL RELAXATION IN THERMORHEOLOGICALLY COMPLEX MATERIALS

Further development and testing of the thermorheologically complex (TC ) model is reported. This five-parameter model deals with structural r elaxation as a multi-relaxation process. A set of relaxation mechanism s is associated with the distributions of energy barriers and Kauzmann temperatures. The energy barriers decrease and the Kauzmann temperatu res increase from slow to fast mechanisms. The TC model can be fully d efined using equilibrium data in which case it has only three adjustab le and two dependent parameters. The TC model successfully accounts fo r structural relaxation of glass plates quenched into molten salt and structural relaxation of rapidly cooled fibers - the experimental data that defined the Tool-Narayanaswamy model.