Effect of plasticizers on blend properties

Plasticizers may affect properties of polymer blends such as  

Some details on these effects are discussed below. In addition to the mechanisms of miscibility between PVC and CPE and CPVC discussed in Section 12.1, increased levels of DOP decrease interfacial tension between the two phases and improve their interpenetration. This lowering of the physical barrier results eventually in the formation of a truly ternary phase. Decrease in interfacial tension between another immiscible pair of polyvi- 

Because polymers are plasticized in then-own, separate domains, there is nothing that distinguishes behavior of a polymer in blend from the behavior of a polymer mixed with plasticizer. 

6 shows that conductivity rapidly increases to begin levelling above 10 wt% DOP. This is understandable in view of the fact that only 0.5-1% DOP migrates to interphase between PS and PANI therefore larger concentrations of DOP are not utilized to increase conductivity. These three independent observations seem to confirm an interesting mechanism of compatibihzation of two immiscible polymers by a plasticizer which interacts with both partners. 

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