The influence of molar mass on rheological and dilute solution properties of poly(butylene succinate)

The fundamental rheological properties of a wide molar mass Mw range of poly(butylene succinate)s (PBSs) are investigated. For entangled samples and a reference temperature of 140°C, the shear viscosity is described by the Carreau–Yasuda model. The plateau modulus is estimated at 1.5 × 105 Pa, the average activation energy of PBS melt is , and the critical molar mass for entanglement Mc is found to be 16,000 g mol−1 (PS equivalent). The dilute solution properties of PBS are also studied. A size exclusion chromatography equipped with a triple detection system is used to estimate the Mark–Houwink–Sakurada (MHS) parameters of PBS in solution in chloroform at 30°C. The exponent a and the coefficient K of the MHS relationship are found to be 0.71 ± 0.1 and 39.94 × 10−5 ± 6.31 × 10−5 dL g−1(g mol−1)−a, respectively. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40887.