A novel reactive polyorganosiloxane containing nitro groups was first prepared by acid-catalyzed equilibration polymerization. The monomer, 3-(4-nitrophenoxy)propylmethyldichlorosilane (NPPMS), was synthesized by hydrosilylation reaction with dicyclopentadienylplatinum(II) chloride (Cp2PtC12) catalyst in high yield. The synthesized polynitroorganosiloxane, which has potential application as a precursor for synthesizing advanced functional polymers, was characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 29Si-NMR, vapor pressure osmometry (VPO) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

This work focused on the anionic polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4, D = Me2SiO2/2) initiated by a new kind of initiator hexamethyldisilazyl-lithium (MMNLi). 29Si-NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography (GC) were used to characterize the polymerization products. The process was accelerated by adding a small amount of high activity monomer D3 and by raising the polymerization temperature. At the end of polymerization more than 95% of the monomer was converted to polymer and only a very small amount ofD4 and D5 remained in the polymers.

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) powders with particle sizes of 30～50 nm were prepared from barium stearate, titanium alkoxides and stearic acid by stearic acid-gel method. Dispersing the agglomerate of BaTiO3 nanoparticles into poly(amic acid) solution followed by curing led to the formation of polyimide hybrid films. The hybrid films were transparent and well distributed with BaTiO3 nanoparticles when the BaTiO3 content was less than 1 wt%. Highly loaded hybrid film containing 30 wt % BaTiO3 was tough, had a smooth surface and possessed much higher dielectric and piezoelectric constants than the parent polyimide.

The nonlinear J-E characteristics under self-heating equilibrium for conductive composites based on high density polyethylene were studied. The results show that there are identical conduction mechanisms under self-heating equilibrium for the composites with various initial resistivities determined by filler content or ambient temperature. The nonlinear conduction behavior was involved in the limited microstructure transformations of the conducting network induced by electrical field applied and the corresponding self-heating effect. A reversible thermal fuse (RTF) model was suggested to interpret the physical origin of the nonlinear J-E characteristics.

Ultra high molar mass polyethylene (UITPE) powder as polymerized in a slurry process has been studied, in its nascent state, after recrystallization on rapid cooling from the melt and after hot compression molding to a film, by DSC,effect ofannealing the recrystallized specimen at 120～I30℃, morphology by polarizing optical microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. Based on the experimental results obtained the macromolecular condensed state of the nascent UHPE powder is a rare case of a multi-chain condensed state of non-interpenetrating chains, involving interlaced extended chain crystalline layers and relaxed parallel chain amorphous layers. On melting, a nematic rubbery state of nanometer size domain resulted. The nematic-isotropic transition temperature was judged from literature data to be at least 220℃, possibly higher than 300℃, the exact temperature is however not sure because of chain degradation at such high temperatures. The recrystallization process from the melt is a crystallization from a nematic rubbery state. The drop of remelting peak temperature by 10 K of the specimen recrystallized from its melt as compared to the nascent state has its origin in the decrease both of the crystalline chain stem length and of the degree of crystallinity. The remelting peak temperature could be returned close to that of the nascent state by annealing at 120～130℃.

The kinetics of free radical decay in the polymerization of MMA initiated by AIBN was studied by means of ESR spectroscopy. It was found that the curves of radical decay are strongly associated with the reaction temperature, the initiator concentration and the solvent. In the case of the radical polymerization carried out at high temperature or in solution, the radical concentration first reached a maximum, then declined monotonously with reaction time. It was also found that the greater the amount of initiator or the higher the temperature, the more rapidly the radicals decay. When the bulk polymerization was implemented at a relatively low temperature, the curves of radical decay became more complicated, i.e.,the radical concentration rapidly rose to a maximum, then dropped to a minimum, finally increased again with reaction time.Taking into account the diffusion effect, a semi-empirical equation is suggested to describe the kinetics of propagating radical decay.

Four phenoxysilicon networks for nonlinear optical (NLO) applications were designed and prepared by an extended sol-gel process without additional H2O and catalyst. All poled polymer network films possess high second-order nonlinear optical coefficients (d33) of 10-?～10-8 esu. The investigation of NLO temporal stability at room temperature and elevated temperature (120℃) indicated that these films exhibit high d33 stability because the orientation of the chromophores are locked in the phenoxysilicon organic/inorganic networks.

Urethane acrylate anionomer (APUA) as a kind of new type polymerizable emulsifier was synthesized using 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), polypropylene glycol (PPG), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA). The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of APUA was measured by the methods of conductance and surface tension. The comparative studies between polymerizable emulsifier AUPA and conventional emulsifier sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were carried out in the emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA). Polymerization kinetics,stability, size and morphology of the latex particles were investigated. It was found that in APUA both water soluble initiator potassium persulfate (KPS) and oil soluble initiator 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) can start the reaction of MMA, and the polymerization rate and yield were very high. On using AIBN as an initiator, the conversion-time behavior of MMA with APUA as emulsifier was different to that of SDS as emulsifier, signifying a different nucleation mechanism of the polymer latex particle. The average size of the two kinds of particles is about 50 nm. The particle size decreases with increasing emulsifier concentration. On using KPS as the initiator, APUA as emulsifier, cross-linking hydrogel of PMMA would be formed, but SDS was used as emulsifier and the hydrogel of PMMA was not present.

Electron beam (EB) curing of composites has many advantages. Heat-resistant EB-curing composites could substitute polyimide composites used in aeronautical engines. In this paper, the effects of catalyst and dose on the cured resin were investigated. The heat-resistance of the resin cured by EB was evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The experimental results show that the mechanical properties of the composites cured by EB could meet the specifications of aeronautical engines at 250℃.

"Living"/controlled radical polymerization of styrene was carried out with diethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-diphenylsuccinate (DCDPS)/CuCl2/bipyridine (bipy) initiation system at 120℃. The molecular weights of resultant PSt increased with the monomer conversion and the polydispersities were in the range of 1.37 ～ 1.52. A linear ln([M]o/[M])versus time plot was also obtained indicating the constant concentration of growing radicals during the polymerization with this initiation system. End group analysis by 1H-NMR spectroscopic studies showed that the end groups of the polymer obtained is cω-functionalized by a chlorine group from the catalyst and a-functionalized by a (carbethoxy-cyano-phenyl)methyl group from the fragments of the initiator. Having C1 atom at the chain end, the PSt obtained can be used as a macroinitiator to promote a chain-extension reaction with fresh St and block copolymerization reaction with a second monomer, such as methyl methacrylate, in the presence of CuC1/bipy catalyst via a conventional ATRP process.

4-(3-(4-((4-Nitrophenyl)azo)phenyloxy)propyl)aminobenzene sulfonic acid (C3-ABSA) was synthesized by the reaction of 3-bromide-l-(4-((4-nitrophenyl)azo)phenyloxy)propane (B3) with sodium p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid (ABSA)and acidification with hydrochloric acid. The C3-ABSA was characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR and second ion mass spectrum (SIMS). The molecular formula of dehydrated C3-ABSA was estimated to be ca. C21H20O6N4S by SIMS. Its decomposition temperature was measured by TGA to be ca. 232℃. It was found that tubular polyaniline (PANI) with a conductivity of 1.1 S/cm at room temperature was successfully synthesized by in-situ doping polymerization in the presence of C3-ABSA as a dopant.

Crystalline morphology in a series of CH3-substituted main chain thermotropic aromatic polyesters with even and odd numbered methylene spacers has been studied by polarizing optical microscopy (POM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). On crystallization from solution evaporation spherulites of radial structure were observed in the polymers with even numbered spacers, but spherulites with concentric rings form in the polymer with odd numbered spacers. Both spherulites have a lamellar structure, which is about 10 nm in thickness. On crystallization from nematic glassy state spherulites can not be grown; lamellar structure was only observed around disclinations in a specimen during crystallization. In the case of crystallization from nematic melt two types of spherulites can be observed for the sample with even numbered spacers. For the sample with odd numbered spacers spherulites can not be formed, but only irregular crystallites.

o-Chloro-hexaarylbiimidazole (o-C1-HABI) can be sensitized efficiently by cyanine dyes, the cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone dyes, when exposed to xenon lamp (use filter cut λ≤ 400 nm). The photoreaction between the photoinitiator and the dyes was completed through an electron transfer process. Excellent results have been obtained in photoimaging studies, e.g. the resolution of the image can reach 7 μm. The influence of the content of the dyes and the heat after the exposure on the resolution of the image was investigated.

It was first found that Ind2Y(μ-Et)2AlEt2 and Ind2LnN(i-Pr)2 (Ln = Y, Yb) exhibit extremely high catalytic activity in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. The reactions can be carried out over a quite broad range of polymerization temperatures from -30 to 50℃. PMMA with high molecular weight (7.8 × l0-5) and high isotacticity (94%) can be obtained by using Ind2Y(μ-Et)2AlEt2, and narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn 2LnN(iPr)2(Ln = Y, Yb).

Ind2Y(μ-Et)2AlEt2 and Ind2LnN(i-Pr)2 (Ln = Y, Yb) were used as a single-component catalyst for the polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) respectively. The regularity of polymerization of AN and stereoregularity of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were also studied in both cases. Both catalysts can produce PAN with molecular weight from I0,000to 30,000. In addition, the catalytic activity and molecular weights were increased by the addition of PhONa.

The structural analysis of two PP/PE copolymer samples, I and 2, was conducted by using 13C-NMR, GPC and crystallization segregation DSC (CSDSC) techniques. A pure polypropylene sample was also used for comparison. It was found that the two copolymer samples are very close in composition (the ethylene mol content is 4.3% and 4.5%,respectively), stereoregularity (96% and 97%) and molecular weight (Mw, = 7.0 x 104 and 7.3x104; Mw/Mn = 5.0 and 6.1,respectively). While the CSDSC thermograms of the two samples are quite different from each other. Sample 1 shows a higher average melting temperature and a broader distribution of its thermogram. These phenomena were explained as an indication of a less uniform distribution of ethylene units along the PP chains for sample 1. It was noted that CSDSC is a very sensitive and convenient technique for structural studies of copolymers.

A novel alcohol-soluble polyorganosiloxane containing amino side groups, poly[3-(4-aminophenoxy)propylmethylsiloxane] (2), was first prepared by the reduction of nitro groups on 4-nitrophenoxypropyl side chains of poly[3-(4-nitrophenoxy)propylmethylsiloxane] (1). The reaction proceeded easily with nearly 100% conversion. The synthesized alcohol-soluble polymer 2, which has potential application as a precursor for preparing advanced functional polymers, was characterized by FTIR 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 29Si-NMR, VPO and GPC, respectively.

A series of aromatic-aliphatic copolyamides containing different aliphatic diamine units was synthesized by low temperature solution polycondensation. The liquid crystalline critical concentration (c*) and liquid crystalline critical temperature (T*) of these copolyamides exhibited an odd-even zigzag effect with the odd-even variation of carbon atom number in the aliphatic dimes used.