Eigenschaftskennfunktionen thermisch hergestellter polystyrole unterschiedlichen molekulargewichts und unterschiedlicher molekulargewichtsverteilung

Mechanical properties and melt flow behaviour have been measured on thermal polystyrenes in order to study the effect of different molecular weight and different molecular weight distribution. The mechanical properties (impact strength, tensile strength and flexural strength) were found to depend upon a critical molecular weight M_w = 1.5 × 10⁵, where the polystyrenes reached ultimate strength. An influence of molecular weight distribution only can be observed when the average molecular weight is near the critical molecular weight limit. The broader the distribution, the poorer are mechanical properties. Injection molded specimens with different molecular weight distribution but equal average molecular weight showed different molecular orientation and different anisotropic mechanical properties. On the basis of equal orientation the narrow distributed specimens showed higher mechanical strength in direction of orientation. The broader the distribution, the higher the elastic properties of melt. An optimum of physical properties and ease of fabrication will be obtained with narrow molecular weight distributed polystyrenes with an average molecular weight slightly above the critical molecular weight limit.