D.s.c., electrical conductivity, and n.m.r. studies of salt precipitation effects in PPO complexes

Differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) and electrical conductivity measurements of poly(propylene oxide), PPO, complexed with the salts NaI and KSCN are reported. In addition, 23Na n.m.r. measurements on PPO-NaI (x = 8), both at ambient and elevated pressure (2 kbar), have been performed. The d.s.c. data clearly indicate that the salt precipitates out of the complexes at about 85°C for NaI and 60°C for KSCN. These effects are manifested by a dramatic departure of the conductivity from Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) behaviour, and a relatively sharp drop in mobile Na+ concentration, as deduced from n.m.r. measurements, above about 80°C. High pressure n.m.r. linewidth measurements are consistent with a pressure-induced increase in glass transition temperature.