Molecular dynamics simulation of chains mobility in polyethylene crystal
V. I. Sultanov*, V. V. Atrazhev+*, D. V. Dmitriev+*, S. F. Burlatsky×
+Institute of Biochemical Physics of the RAS, 119334 Moscow, Russia
*Science for Technology LLC, 119313 Moscow, Russia
×United Technologies Research Center, CT 06108 East Hartford, USA
Abstract
The mobility of polymer chains in perfect polyethylene
crystal was calculated as a function of temperature and chain
length through Molecular dynamics in united atom
approximation. The results demonstrate that the chain mobility
drastically increases in the vicinity of the phase transition from
the orthorhombic to quasi-hexagonal phase. In the quasi-hexagonal
phase, the chain mobility is almost independent on temperature and
inversely proportional to the chain length.