Tracer diffusion in polymer and organic liquids close to the glass transition studied by forced rayleigh scattering

Abstract

Translational diffusion coefficients D of photochronic dye molecules have been measured by forced Rayleigh scattering in polymer diluent systems at compositions from pure polymer to pure diluent. D could be measured down to below the glass transition temperature T _g. In the pure diluent, D(T _g) was found typically about two decades below that in the pure polymer but still far above the Stokes-Einstein prediction extrapolated from high temperatures. Some experimental results are in contrast with predictions from free-volume theory.