Effect of magnetic field on phase transitions in solutions and melts of flexible polymers

The effect of the magnetic field on the phase diagrams of flexible-chain polymer–solvent systems is observed for the first time. Phase transitions in systems with the crystalline-phase separation (PE–o-xylene, PE–n-hexane, PE–chloroform, PE–o-dichlorobenzene, PEG–1,4-dioxane, PEG–toluene) and the amorphous demixing (PS–methyl acetate, PVA–ethanol, PDMS–butanone) are studied. The magnetic field increases the temperatures of crystallization of PE and PEG from solutions and melts but has no effect on phase transitions in PS, PVA, and PDMS solutions. The structures of polymer entities isolated from solutions and melts are studied. Under application of the magnetic field to PEG solutions, spherulites of substantially smaller sizes than those formed outside the field appear. The magnetic field increases the degree of crystallinity of PEG, but the degree of crystallinity and size of PE spherulites remain unchanged.