Vibrational Spectroscopic Characterization Of Rigid Rod Polymers .3. Microstructural Changes In Stressed Polymers

Highly oriented poly( p -phenylene benzobisthiazole) films were stressed in a miniature hydraulic tensile tester interfaced to a fast scanning Fourier transform infra-red spectrometer. The changes in relative intensity, polarization, frequency and shape of infrared bands have been useful in the elucidation of microstructures. With the short time resolution achievable, vibrational bandshape and frequency have been shown to change at different rates when an external stress was applied.