Bulk Viscosity of the System Polystyrene—Diethyl Benzene

Abstract

The bulk viscosity of the system polystyrene‐diethyl benzene has been measured over the concentration range from 8 to 80 weight percent polymer and a temperature range from 30 to 130°C. A single sample of polymer was used. The activation energy for viscousflow is found to vary from about 2 to 100 kcal/mole as one goes from pure solvent to pure polymer. Using a series of 15 fractions of polystyrene ranging from 50 000 to 106, the molecular weight dependence for the viscosity of this system was measured at two polymer concentrations, 14 and 44 percent. The results are compared in a qualitative way with what one would expect from existing theory.