Phase Separation Kinetics in Nonreactive Polymer Systems

4 Phase Separation Kinetics in Nonreactive Polymer Systems 

Even though the ERRPP process involves phase separation at a temperature above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), analysis of relevant phase separation kinetics can be made through conventional upper critical solution temperature (UCST)-based phase separation starting from binary polymer/solvent system. Later, 

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For nonreacting polymer mixtures, several efforts have been made to elucidate the effects of viscoelasticity on phase separation of polymer mixtures from a theoretical viewpoint [40, 41]. These particular effects on phase separation were shown to be important as a long-range interaction in the phase separation kinetics of polymer mixtures [42]. On the other hand, for reacting polymer systems, very recently, Ohta and coworkers took into account the elastic effects of the polymer on the phase separation kinetics of a mixture composed of liquid crystals dissolved in monomer undergoing polymerization [43]. 

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