Multicomponent polymers materials

Sperling, L. H., Interpenetrating Polymer Networks and Related Materials, Plenum Press, New York, 1981. Sperling, L. H., Recent Developments in Interpenetrating Polymer Networks and Related Materials, Chap. 2 in Multicomponent Polymer Materials, D. R. Paul and L. H. Sperling, eds., Am. Chem. Soc. Adv. Ser., Vol. 211, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1986. 

There are two possibilities first, nonuniform or multicomponent polymer materials. Internal stresses may appear due to differences in the properties of various parts of an article and the existence of phase boundaries. Second, uniform materials, which seem quite homogeneous, can be amorphous or polycrystalline.The physics of the development of residual stresses in such materials will be discussed in this section. 

Paul DR, Sperling LH (1986) Multicomponent polymer materials, advances in chemistry series, 211, chap 5. ACS, Washington D.C. 

In the previous papers of this series, the concepts of mathematical group theory and then ring theory were brought to bear on the nomenclature and structure of multicomponent polymer materials (12,18,19). In each case, no proof of the existence of either a mathematical group or ring was offered, but rather only the notions or concepts were applied. 

Klein J, Scheffold F, Steiner U, Eiser E, Budkowski A, Fetters LJ (1997) In Sperling LH (ed) Interfacial aspects of multicomponent polymer materials. Plenum, New York... 

Interpenetrating polymer networks are defined eis a combination of two polymers, each in network form. From a practical point of view, an IPN is comprised of two polymers which cannot be separated chemically, do not dissolve or fiow, and are not bonded together. Like most other multicomponent polymer materials, IPN s usually phase separate due to their very small entropy of mixing. However, the presence of the crosslinks tends to reduce the resulting domain size, hence yielding a unique method of controlling the final morphology. 

Figure 3. Kinetics of phase separation in multicomponent polymer materials. (Reproduced from ref. 10. Copyright 1988 American Chemical Society.)...

A powerful method of examining the morphology of many multicomponent polymer materials utilizes transmission electron microscopy [Woodward, 1989]. If the two phases are nearly equal in electron density, staining with osmium tetroxide or other agents can be used. For more detailed discussion on the methods of morphology characterization, see Chapter 8. 

Garton, A., Infrared Spectroscopy of Multicomponent Polymer Materials Hanser, New York, 1992. 

Interpenetrating polymer networks are a special class of crosslinked multicomponent polymer materials. The interpenetrating polymer networks exhibit finely divided phases that have dimensions of only several nanometers. 

D.J. Lohse, T.P. Russell, L.H. Sperling (eds.). Interfacial Aspects / Multicomponent Polymer Materials (Plenum Press, New York, 1997)... 

D.L. Huber, G. Carlson, K. Gonsalves, The formation of polymer monolayers from adsorption to surface initiated polymerizations, in Inte facial Aspects of Multicomponent Polymer Materials, Proceedings of the American Chemical Society Symposium, pp. 107-122, D.J. Lohse, T.P. Russell, L.H. Sperling (Eds.), Plenum Press, New York,... 

The outstanding behavior of multipolymer cdmbinations usually derives from the phase-separated nature of these materials. In fact, polymer blends, blocks, grafts, and IPNs are interesting because of their complex two-phased nature, certainly not in spite of it. Aspects of phase continuity, size of the domains, and molecular mixing at the phase boundaries as well as within the phase structures all contribute to the mechanical behavior patterns of these multicomponent polymer materials. 

An Interpenetrating polymer network, IPN, Is defined as a combination of two polymers In network form, at least one of which Is synthesized and/or crossllnked In the Immediate presence of the other. While closely related to other multicomponent polymer materials such as the polymer blends, grafts, and blocks, the IPN s can be distinguished from them In two ways (1) An IPN swells, but does not dissolve In solvents, and (2) creep and flow are suppressed. The IPN topology Is compared with that of other multicomponent polymer structures In Figure 1. 

D. R. Paul, in Multicomponent Polymer Materials, Advances in Chemistry Series No. 211, ACS Books, Washington, DC, 1986. 

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