| Issue |
EPL
Volume 94, Number 4, May 2011
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 48003 | |
| Number of page(s) | 6 | |
| Section | Interdisciplinary Physics and Related Areas of Science and Technology | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/94/48003 | |
| Published online | 05 May 2011 | |
Polymer chain scission at constant tension —An example of force-induced collective behaviour
1
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research - 10 Ackermannweg, 55128 Mainz, Germany, EU
2
Institute of Physics, University of Szczecin - Wielkopolska 15, 70451 Szczecin, Poland, EU
3
Institute for Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, EU
Received:
25
March
2011
Accepted:
14
April
2011
The breakage of a polymer chain of segments, coupled by anharmonic bonds with applied constant external tensile force is studied by means of Molecular Dynamics simulation. We show that the mean lifetime of the chain becomes progressively independent of the number of bonds as the pulling force grows. The latter affects also the rupture rates of individual bonds along the polymer backbone manifesting the essential role of inertial effects in the fragmentation process. The role of local defects, temperature and friction in the scission kinetics is also examined.
PACS: 82.37.-j – Single molecule kinetics / 82.35.Lr – Physical properties of polymers / 05.40.-a – Fluctuation phenomena, random processes, noise, and Brownian motion
© EPLA, 2011
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