Graft polymers chemically incompatible components

The chief reason for the interest in graft copolymers originates from the incompatibility between polymer chains of different chemical nature. Intramolecular phase separation results, because grafts and backbone repell each other, and these compounds exhibit a marked tendency to form mesomorphic phases like block copolymers and soaps do. When these species are mixed with a solvent that exhibits a preferential affinity for one of the components (grafts or backbone) the incompatibility may be enhanced. This intramolecular phase separation has led to a number of applications. If small amounts of a graft copolymer are included into a homopolymer of the same nature as the grafts (or the backbone), surface modifications can result as described below. 

---