Fixed crosslink formation and viscoelasticity of polystyrene networks

The crosslinking formation in the 8/92 mol % random copolymer of ethynyl-st yrene and styrene is clarified quantitatively from the IR spectrum analysis on the basis of the thermally homogeneous reaction of ethynylstyrenes betw een the chains. The viscoelastic properties of the crosslinked polystyrene, CL-P(ESt/St), are investigated based on the temperature and frequency depe ndencies of the dynamic Young modulus. The relaxation spectrum of CL-P(ESt/ St) drops deeply like the Wedge type with a slope of -1/2 in the glass tran sition region, and became a plateau without a terminal zone in the rubbery elasticity region. The effects of the ethynyl crosslinked junctions for the micro-Brownian motions of the segments in the strand are discussed. (C) 19 99 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.