Block copolymer samples, preparation

The specific volume and expansion coefficient of the solution-blended material are shown in Figure 6, along with data for pure polybutadiene and pure polystyrene. None of the three polymers has any distinguishing features below the polystyrene Tg> illustrating that the observed transition and minimum are the results of the unique structural morphology of the block copolymers. It should be noted that the substantial difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of polybutadiene and polystyrene can be expected to be an important factor affecting the structure and properties of block copolymer samples prepared under various conditions. 

Deformation of Block Copolymers Sample Preparation Solution Casting... 

Electron microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering have been used to investigate the structure of block copolymers samples prepared in flow fields However,... 

Figure 28 Block copolymer sample preparation, (a) A polymer solution containing dye Is spincoated onto surface functionalized glass (1) to yield a uniform thin film (2). Phase separation Is achieved by solvent annealing (3). (b) Confinement of the fluorescent marker to the P2VP domain Is achieved by stabilizing the solubility of the dye via a hydrogen bond.

The surface of bulk block copolymer samples has been studied using TEM by Turturro et al. (1995). They report that non-equilibrium structures with lamellar and cylindrical microdomains oriented normal to the free surface can result from solvent casting, with a high evaporation rate. However, slower evaporation of solvent from their PS-PB diblocks resulted in the equilibrium conformation with domains parallel to the free surface. Perpendicular orientation of PS-PB lamellae at the free surface was observed earlier by Henkee et al. (1988) who studied thin films prepared by solvent casting. They observed that a reduction of this orientation occurs in favour of the parallel one on annealing the sample. 

Step-Growth Gopolymerization. A sample of a block copolymer prepared by condensation polymerisation is shown in equation 30 (37). In this process, a prepolymer diol (HO—Z—OH) is capped with isocyanate end groups and chain extended with a low molecular-weight diol (HO—E—OH) to give a so-called segmented block copolymer, containing polyurethane hard blocks and O—Z—O soft blocks. 

NR, styrene-butadiene mbber (SBR), polybutadiene rubber, nitrile mbber, acrylic copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer, and A-B-A type block copolymer with conjugated dienes have been used to prepare pressure-sensitive adhesives by EB radiation [116-126]. It is not necessary to heat up the sample to join the elastomeric joints. This has only been possible due to cross-linking procedure by EB irradiation [127]. Polyfunctional acrylates, tackifier resin, and other additives have also been used to improve adhesive properties. Sasaki et al. [128] have studied the EB radiation-curable pressure-sensitive adhesives from dimer acid-based polyester urethane diacrylate with various methacrylate monomers. Acrylamide has been polymerized in the intercalation space of montmorillonite using an EB. The polymerization condition has been studied using a statistical method. The product shows a good water adsorption and retention capacity [129]. 

Most of the sample preparations and contact angle measurements were made by A. D. Karnas. K. W. Littlepage and G. G. Engerholm did the ESCA spectroscopy. J. Burns did the electron microscopy on the block copolymers. I thank D. F. Hager and G. B. Butler for helpful discussions. 

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