Macromolecules, Vol.41, No.11, 3925-3929, 2008
On the universality of chain dynamics
On the basis of a comparison of the dielectric normal mode relaxation times tau(n) of unentangled cis-1,4-polyisoprene, poly(propylene glycol), and polyoxybutylene with literature data for the shear viscosity eta of polystyrene, atactic polypropylene, and polycarbonate from various sources, Ding and Sokolov [Macromolecules 2006, 39, 3322] concluded that the T-g-normalized temperature dependence of tau(n) and eta is the same for all polymers. Liu et al. [Macromolecules 2006, 39, 8867] reached the same conclusion from an examination of their own dynamic mechanical modulus data for 1,4-polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and eight aliphatic copolymers. We verify that the data in these studies ostensibly support a universal T-g-normalized temperature dependence; however, a detailed analysis of viscoelastic data on many different polymers, from creep compliance measurements carried out in the same laboratory, shows unambiguously that the T-g-normalized temperature dependences of tau(n) and eta can vary substantially among polymers. Thus, the behavior of tau(n) and eta is not universal.