Compatibilized polymer blends

An important group of surface-active nonionic synthetic polymers (nonionic emulsifiers) are ethylene oxide (block) (co)polymers. They have been widely researched and some interesting results on their behavior in water have been obtained [33]. Amphiphilic PEO copolymers are currently of interest in such applications as polymer emulsifiers, rheology modifiers, drug carriers, polymer blend compatibilizers, and phase transfer catalysts. Examples are block copolymers of EO and styrene, graft or block copolymers with PEO branches anchored to a hydrophilic backbone, and star-shaped macromolecules with PEO arms attached to a hydrophobic core. One of the most interesting findings is that some block micelle systems in fact exists in two populations, i.e., a bimodal size distribution. 

SCFT today is one of the most commonly used tools in polymer science. SCFT is based on de Gennes-Edwards description of a polymer molecule as a flexible Gaussian chain combined with the Flory-Huggins "local" treatment of intermolecular interactions. Applications of SCFT include thermodynamics of block copolymers (Bates and Fredrickson, 1999 Matsen and Bates, 1996), adsorption of polymer chains on solid surfaces (Scheutjens and Fleer, 1979,1980), and calculation of interfacial tension in binary polymer blends compatibilized by block copolymers (Lyatskaya et al., 1996), among others. 

TEMPO-modified poly(ethylene-co-propylene-g-maleic anhydride), (IV), and poly((ethylene-co-1 -decene)-g-alkylacrylates), (V), were prepared by Matsugi [3] and used as polymer blend compatibilizing agents. 

Principles of polymer blends compatibilization were presented in Part 16.3.2. Details of compatibilization are discussed in Chapter 4. Interphase and compatibilization by addition of a compatibUizer, and in Chapter 5. Reactive Compatibilization of this Handbook. 

Polymer Blend Compatibilization by Copolymers and Functional Polymers... 

In general, BCPs added as a component in a polymer blend compatibilize the interface of phase-separated components. As a result, the addition of a particular BCP can significantly alter the final morphology of the blend. However, before entering the analysis of the role of the BCP on the blend structure it is worth mentioning that, in addition to the chemical nature of the blocks involved, a crucial aspect on the addition of BCPs concerns the amount of BCP concentration within the blend (Fig. 6.2). We will limit our discussion here to the case of a BCP/homopolymer blend in the presence of air as the interface. At low concentrations of BCP in the blend (Fig. 6.2(a,b)) the BCP is present either in the bulk (dissolved in the polymer phase) or at the interface. In this concentration regime, the amount of BCP segregated at the interface is directly... 

In polymer blends compatibilizers can reduce the mobility of the interface. Compa-tibilizers often result in a finer morphology this is due to three factors ... 

Araujo, E.M., Hage, E., and Carvalho, A.J.F. (2004) Thermal properties of nylon6/ABS polymer blends compatibilizer effect. 

Malik, R Hall, C.K., and Genzer, J. (2011) Phase separation dynamics for a polymer blend compatibilized by protein-like copolymers A Monte Carlo simulation. Macromolecules, 44, 8284—8293. 

M.F. Tse, H.C. Wang, R. Krishnamoorti, and A.H. Tsou, Polymer blend compatibilization using isobutylene-based block copolymers ii, US Patent 7119146, assigned to ExxonMobil Qiemical Patents Inc. (Houston, TX), October 10,2006. 

Kim, J., Gray, M.K., Zhou, H. et al. (2005) Polymer blend compatibilization by gradient copolymer addition during melt processing stabilization of dispersed phase to static coarsening. Macromolecules, 38,1037-1040. 

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