Polymer Blend Terminology

Polymer blends, homologous see Homologous polymer blends Polymer blends, terminology 12... 

In a fundamental sense, the miscibility, adhesion, interfacial energies, and morphology developed are all thermodynamically interrelated in a complex way to the interaction forces between the polymers. Miscibility of a polymer blend containing two polymers depends on the mutual solubility of the polymeric components. The blend is termed compatible when the solubility parameter of the two components are close to each other and show a single-phase transition temperature. However, most polymer pairs tend to be immiscible due to differences in their viscoelastic properties, surface-tensions, and intermolecular interactions. According to the terminology, the polymer pairs are incompatible and show separate glass transitions. For many purposes, miscibility in polymer blends is neither required nor de-... 

To describe polymers or polymer blends with The terminology used in polymer blends science ... 

When fillers are introduced into a polymer blend, they generally tend to migrate to the phase with which they have the most affinity, in a thermodynamic sense. The affinity between polymers and fillers has been described qualitatively via the study of the surface chemistry of both phases under the terminology of polymer/polymer and polymer/filler interactions. 

Two terms for blends are commonly used in literature—miscible blend and compatible blend. The terminology recommended by Utracki (1) will be used in this article. By the miscible polymer blend, we mean a blend of two or more amorphous polymers homogeneous down to the molecular level and fulfilling the thermodynamic conditions for a miscible multicomponent system. An immiscible polymer blend is the blend that does not comply with the thermodynamic conditions of phase stability. The term compatible polymer blend indicates a commercially attractive polymer mixture that is visibly homogeneous, frequently with improved physical properties compared with the constituent polymers. 

The following basic terminology for polymer blends has been adopted [1] ... 

From a topological point of view, the IPN s are closely related to polymer blends, block and graft copolymers, AB-crosslinked copolymers " and ionomeric blends. Some interesting hybrids exist between the IPN s and other polymer materials. The thermoplastic IPN s contain physical crosslinks rather than chemical (covalent) crosslinks. Physical crosslinks can be formed from block copolymers, ionomers or semi-crystalline polymers. When the temperature is raised above the softening point of the respective components, the material flows like a thermoplastic. At service temperatures, it behaves like an IPN, with thermoset behavior. Table 1 summarizes some of the terminology used to describe IPN structure and morphology. 

In context with the preparation of filled polymer systems, there are three terms, namely, compounding, blending and mixing, which are often synonymously or interchangeably used and though various researchers have defined these terms, one is at times faced with the dilemma of terminology [1]. In the present case, definitions of the terms are given as applicable to the subject matter and hence exclude any other connotations of the terms. 

The terminology and taxonomy of polymer and, moreover, of oligomer blends (OB) has not been completely acquired yet [16]. Therefore, to evade possible misinterpretation, below we outline the physical implications of concepts referred to in this book. However, we do not claim that the definitions given below are comprehensive and perfect. 

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