Polystyrene was degraded by using a vibrating ball mill. The viscosities of the degraded products were measured by using a capillary viscometer, and the molecular weights were determined. It was found that the viscosities and the molecular weights of the degraded polystyrene decreased as the degradation time and the energy input for degradation increased.
These facts were explained by the fracture of long polymer molecules into shorter molecules. These experimental results for the rheological phenomena of the degraded products were analyzed by applying the Ree-Eyring equation for viscous flow. The parameters $x_2/α_2, β_2$ and $x_1 β_1/α_1$ in the equation were determined, where the subscript 2 and 1 refer to non-Newtonian and Newtonian units, respectively. It was found that these parameters were decreased by increasing the degradation time and the energy input. These facts were also explained by the fracture of polymer molecules by mechanical forces.
Elctron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of the degraded sample was taken, and it was confirmed that free radicals were produced by the degradation of polystyrene.
진동 ball-mill 을 써서 degrade 시킨 polystyrene을 capillary viscometer 을 사용 하여 점도와 분자량을 측정하였다. 이 두양은 degradati 시킨 시간과 가해준 energy 가 커지면 모두 다 감소함을 알았다. 이러한 사실은 긴 고분자들이 더 짧은 분자로 분열이 일어난다는 사실로 설명하였다.
Degrade 된 생성물들의 점성론적 현상에 대한 실험 결과는 점도액에 대한 Ree-Eyring 식에 의해 분석되었고 식에서 나타나는 parameter $x_2/α_2, β_2$와 $X_1 β_1/α_1$ 이 결정되었다. 이때 첨자 2는 non-Newtonian unit 이고 1은 Newtonian unit 이다. 이러한 parameter 들은 degradation 시킨 시간과 가해준 energy 가 증가하면 감소하였다. 이러한 사실은 mechanical force 에 의한 고분자의 분열로 역시 설명되었다. Degrade 된 시료의 EPR spectrum 을 조사하였고 이 결과 polystyrene 의 degradation 에 의해 자유 radical 이 생성된다는 것이 확인되었다.
