Copolymer, block phase behaviour

Veenstra H., Hoogvfiet R.M., Norder B., De B., and Abe P. Microphase separation and rheology of a semicrystalUne poly(ether-ester) multiblock copolymer, J. Polym. Sci. B. Polym Phys., 36, 1795, 1998. Garbrieelse W., SoUman M., and Dijkstra K., Microstmcture and phase behaviour of block copolyfether ester) thermoplastic elastomers. Macromolecules, 34, 1685, 2001. 

Table 2 Molecular Characteristics and Phase Behaviour of PS-fc-PI Block Copolymers of Park et al. s Study [42]... 

Mean-field lattice theory proved to be capable of predicting the phase behaviour of the ternary block copolymer polyethylene-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide), PE-b-PPO-b-PEO in the selective solvent water [164], The ethylene block is known to be highly hydrophobic, and its hydrophobicity does not depend strongly on temperature. The difference in hydrophobicity between PPO and PEO, on the other hand, is moderate... 

Influence on the phase behaviour is observed if even small amounts (0.5 wt %) of hairy silica-like nanoparticles obtained by block-copolymer-directed sol-gel synthesis are added to a block copolymer [53,214]. On the example of a PS-fo-PI diblock copolymer a depression of the ODT of approx. 20 K was observed (Fig. 68), accompanied by a broadening of the transition. The largest depression was observed for rod-like nanoparticles, which is explained by the energy introduced by the defects [215]. 

From the theoretical viewpoint, much of the phase behaviour of blends containing block copolymers has been anticipated or accounted for. The primary approaches consist of theories based on polymer brushes (in this case block copolymer chains segregated to an interface), Flory-Huggins or random phase approximation mean field theories and the self-consistent mean field theory. The latter has an unsurpassed predictive capability but requires intensive numerical computations, and does not lead itself to intuitive relationships such as scaling laws. 

In this chapter we focus on melts of well-defined block copolymers synthesized anionically. i.e. block copolymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution. These polymers serve as model materials for investigating the rich phase behaviour and dynamics of block copolymers in the bulk and in thin films. 

Experimental studies of the phase behaviour of block copolymers... 

---