Scattering of very cold neutrons from the supramolecular structure of ethylene copolymers with substituted norbornene, 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene

The transformation of the nanostructure of ethylene copolymers with 5-ethylidene-2-nonbornene due to variations in the concentration of 5-ethylidene-2-nonbornene is studied using scattering of very cold neutrons. The cyclic monomer is introduced into the polyethylene chain in order to modify the supramolecular structure of polyethylene and to change its macroscopic properties. It is shown that, as the content of 5-ethylidene-2-nonbornene in the copolymer increases, the amorphous-crystalline structure of polyethylene is destroyed (the crystallinity and average crystallite size decrease). Neither scattering of very cold neutrons nor X-ray diffraction are observed in samples of ethylene copolymers in which the content of 5-ethylidene-2-nonbornene exceeds 35 mol %. The transmission of light in copolymers of ethylene with 5-ethylidene-2-nonbornene is measured at different wavelengths. It is found that an increase in the content of 5-ethylidene-2-nonbornene in the copolymer leads to an increase in the transparency of the material.