Blends interfacial tension

Z - reduced frequency, / x 12 quiescent blends - interfacial tension... 

Therefore, interfacial tension is an important, if not overriding, factor in the formation of a phase boundary and in the development of phase morphology in incompatible polymer blends. Interfacial tension, y, is defined as the reversible work required to create a unit of interfacial area at constant temperature, T, pressure, P, and composition, n, i.e., [9-18] ... 

Most elastomers that are used for nylon modification contain a small amount of maleic anhydride (0.3 to 2%). In the melt blending process, these elastomers react with the primary amine end groups in nylon, giving rise to nylon grafted elastomers. These grafts reduce the interfacial tension between the phases and provide steric stabili2ation for the dispersed mbber phase. Typically, thermally stable, saturated mbbers such as EPR, EPDM, and styrene—ethylene/butylene—styrene (SEBS) are used. 

In manufacturing and processing polymer blends, it is thus important that the viscosity ratio be within the optimal range in the actual processing conditions. Not only the polymers to be blended but also the temperature and processing conditions (shear, elongation) should be carefully selected. Other factors, such as interfacial tension [46,47] and elasticity of the blended polymers, may also influence the blend morphology. 

The theory of Leibler holds for mainly compatible systems. Leibler developed a mean field formalism to study the interfacial properties of two polymers, A and B with an A-B copolymer. An expression for interfacial tension reduction was developed by Noolandi and Hong [ 18] based on thermodynamics to explain the emulsifying effect of the A-b-B in immiscible A-B blends (A-A-b-B-B). [18,19]. The expression for interfacial tension reduction Ar) in a binary lend upon the addition of divalent copolymer is given by ... 

Compatibility and various other properties such as morphology, crystalline behavior, structure, mechanical properties of natural rubber-polyethylene blends were investigated by Qin et al. [39]. Polyethylene-b-polyiso-prene acts as a successful compatibilizer here. Mechanical properties of the blends were improved upon the addition of the block copolymer (Table 12). The copolymer locates at the interface, and, thus, reduces the interfacial tension that is reflected in the mechanical properties. As the amount of graft copolymer increases, tensile strength and elongation at break increase and reach a leveling off. 

Morphological studies of these blends revealed that the compatibilization was very effective in decreasing the interfacial tension and increasing the adhesion between the two phases (Fig. 9). 

This block copolymer acts as an emulsifying agent in the blends leading to a reduction in interfacial tension and improved adhesion. At concentrations higher than the critical value, the copolymer forms micelles in the continuous phase and thereby increases the domain size of the dispersed phase. 

The applicability of Noolandi and Hong s theory of compatibilization of immiscible blends using block copolymers has been extended to the reactive compatibilization technique by Thomas and coworkers [75,76]. According to Noolandi and Hong [77], the interfacial tension is expected to decrease linearly with the addition... 

Experimental correlations have been established in a given LDL formulation between foam stability and interfacial tension [33]. For example, Fig. 15 shows the effect of increasing water hardness on plate washing performance of an LAS/AES blend. A small amount of Ca2+ ion helps substantially to stabilize the foam. Under the same conditions interfacial tension is also lowered substantially. The two curves show an inverse relationship where the minimum interfacial tension value corresponds to the optimum level of foam stability as measured by plate washing [33]. 

Studies on mechanisms are described by Balzer [192]. In the case of anionics the residual oil in the injection zone is removed via displacement into the adjacent reservoirs ether carboxylates show their good adaptation to differences in temperature and salinity. Further it was found from interfacial tension measurements, adsorption and retention studies, and flooding tests that use of surfactant blends based on ether carboxylates and alkylbenzensulfonates resulted... 

Modem oil spill-dispersant formulations are concentrated blends of surface-active agents (surfactants) in a solvent carrier system. Surfactants are effective for lowering the interfacial tension of the oil slick and promoting and stabilizing oil-in-water dispersions. The solvent system has two key functions (1) to reduce the viscosity of the surfactant blend to allow efficient dispersant application and (2) to promote mixing and diffusion of the surfactant blend into the oil film [601]. 

Blends of sodium hypochlorite with 15% HC1 and with 12% HCl/3% HF have been used to stimulate aqueous fluid injection wells(143). Waterflood injection wells have also been stimulated by injecting linear alcohol propoxyethoxysulfate salts in the absence of any acid (144). The oil near the well bore is mobilized thus increasing the relative permeability of the rock to water (145). Temperature effects on interfacial tension and on surfactant solubility can be a critical factor in surfactant selection for this application (146). 

Interfacial polymerization processes, in microencapsulation, 16 445 446 Interfacial tension, 24 134 in polymer blends, 20 323, 333 of fats and oils, 10 822 Interference, as cause of color, 7 326t, 339-340... 

Quantities useful for predicting phase continuity and inversion in a stirred, sheared, or mechanically blended two-phased system include the viscosities of phases 1 and 2, and and the volume fractions of phases 1 and 2, and ij. (Note These are phase characteristics, not necessarily polymer characteristics.) A theory was developed predicated on the assumption that the phase with the lower viscosity or higher volume fraction will tend to be the continuous phase and vice versa (23,27). An idealized line or region of dual phase continuity must be crossed if phase inversion occurs. Omitted from this theory are interfacial tension and shear rate. Actually, low shear rates are implicitly assumed. 

Phase separation through NG mechanism cannot be observed for polymer-polymer blend systems that show interfacial tension lying in the range 0.5-11 mN/m. In addition, they predicted that a secondary phase separation could take place inside dispersed rubber particles in the case when the average composition of dispersed domains lies in the unstable region at the end of the phase separation [2], They were not able to observe a phase separation inside dispersed domains with TEM micrographs however, they concluded that there are two phases inside the dispersed domains by the fact that the glass transition temperature of the rubber-... 

In impact tests the order was the same except that Tritonal/D-2 95/5 and Picratol 52/48 were reversed Addnl work was conducted on the use of surfactants for reducing the interfacial tension between TNT and paraffin waxes. Refs 98 100 report results of tests using the n-octadecyl, n-hexa-decyl, n-dodecyl and n-hexyl esters of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid to permit stable homogeneous blends of paraffin waxes in molten TNT. It is reported that all these materials act as surfactants and that the interfacial activity increases as a linear function of the alkyl chain length of the ester. N-octadecyl 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid also acts as a surfactant for the beeswax/TNT system. It was concluded, however, that the degree of reduction in the interfacial tension of... 

In a blend of immiscible homopolymers, macrophase separation is favoured on decreasing the temperature in a blend with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) or on increasing the temperature in a blend with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Addition of a block copolymer leads to competition between this macrophase separation and microphase separation of the copolymer. From a practical viewpoint, addition of a block copolymer can be used to suppress phase separation or to compatibilize the homopolymers. Indeed, this is one of the main applications of block copolymers. The compatibilization results from the reduction of interfacial tension that accompanies the segregation of block copolymers to the interface. From a more fundamental viewpoint, the competing effects of macrophase and microphase separation lead to a rich critical phenomenology. In addition to the ordinary critical points of macrophase separation, tricritical points exist where critical lines for the ternary system meet. A Lifshitz point is defined along the line of critical transitions, at the crossover between regimes of macrophase separation and microphase separation. This critical behaviour is discussed in more depth in Chapter 6. 

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