Polymer interface material

The nanoparticles provide ultrahigh specific surfaces and permit strong interactions with the polymer matrix. As a consequence, the amount of modified polymer interphase relative to the total volume will be significantly increased (transition from a polymer matrix material to a polymer interface material). 

Inoue, T. and Marechal, P. (1997) Reactive processing of polymer blends polymer-polymer interface aspects, in Processing of Polymers, ed. Meijer, H.F..H. Materials. Science and Technology, A Comprehensive Treatment, eds. Cahn, R.W., Haasen, P. and Kramer, E.J. (VCH, Weinheim) p. 429. 

Usually polymeric substances of appropriate chemical structure and morphology which promote the miscibility of incompatible materials. Block copolymers are especially useful surfactants at the polymer/polymer interface because the two blocks can be made up from molecules of the individual polymers to be mixed. Typical compatibilisers in polymer blends are LDPE-g-PS in PE/PS CPE in PE/PVC acrylic- -PE, -PP, -EPDM in polyolefin/PA and maleic-g-PE, -PP, -EPDM, -SEBS in polyolefin/polyesters. 

Research has shown that good compatibihty and good adhesion between the polymer matrix and the zeoHte particles in mixed-matrix membranes are of particular importance in forming successful mixed-matrix membranes with enhanced selectivity [41, 60, 61]. Despite aU research efforts, issues of material compatibihty and adhesion at the zeoHte/polymer interface of the mixed-matrix membranes have not been completely addressed. 

Most recently, significant research efforts have been focused on materials compatibility and adhesion at the zeoHte/polymer interface of the mixed-matrix membranes in order to achieve enhanced separation property relative to their corresponding polymer membranes. Modification of the surface of the zeolite particles or modification of the polymer chains to improve the interfacial adhesion provide new opportunity for making successful zeolite/polymer mixed-matrix membranes with significantly improved separation performance. 

The solute-solvent-polymer (membrane material) interactions, similar to those governing the effect of structure on reactivity of molecules (20,21,22,23,24) arise in general from polar-, sterlc-, nonpolar-, and/or ionic-character of each one of the three components In the reverse osmosis system. The overall result of such interactions determines whether solvent, or solute, or neither is preferentially sorbed at the membrane-solution Interface. 

At the recent European Symposium on Polymer Blends [59] about half of the contributions dealt with thermodynamic effects on molecular architecture, on polymer morphology, and on processing and performance of polymer blend materials. Although some attention has been focused mainly on the interface (material) in heterogeneous blends, in general most thermodynamic studies of such heterogeneous blends deal with two- or more bulk phases. Essential morphological features such as droplet size, cocontinuous phases, micellar or... 

Delivery or secretion of the diffused material through the polymer interface, also known as desorption. 

Y. Ivanov, V. Cheshkov and M. Natova Polymer Composite Materials - Interface Phenomena... 

J. L. Bredas, W. R. Salaneck and G. Wegner (Eds), Organic Materials for Electronics Conjugated Polymer Interfaces with Metals and Semiconductors (North Holland, Amsterdam, 1994). 

The purpose of performing calculations of physical properties parallel to experimental studies is twofold. First, since calculations by necessity involve approximations, the results have to be compared with experimental data in order to test the validity of these approximations. If the comparison turns out to be favourable, the second step in the evaluation of the theoretical data is to make predictions of physical properties that are inaccessible to experimental investigations. This second step can result in new understanding of material properties and make it possible to tune these properties for specific purposes. In the context of this book, theoretical calculations are aimed at understanding of the basic interfacial chemistry of metal-conjugated polymer interfaces. This understanding should be related to structural properties such as stability of the interface and adhesion of the metallic overlayer to the polymer surface. Problems related to the electronic properties of the interface are also addressed. Such properties include, for instance, the formation of localized interfacial states, charge transfer between the metal and the polymer, and electron mobility across the interface. 

The application we have in mind for the metal-polymer interfaces discussed in this book is primarily that where the polymer serves as the electroactive material (semiconductor) in an electronic device and the metal is the electric contact to the device. Metal-semiconductor interfaces, in general, have been the subject of intensive studies since the pioneering work of Schottky, Stromer and Waibel1, who were the first to explain the mechanisms behind the rectifying behaviour in this type of asymmetric electric contact. Today, there still occur developments in the understanding of the basic physics of the barrier formation at the interface, and a complete understanding of all the factors that determine the height of the (Schottky) barrier is still ahead of us2. 

P. Dannetun, M. Fahlman, C. Fauquet, K. Kaerijama, Y. Sonoda, R. Lazzaroni, J. L. Bredas and W. R. Salaneck, in Organic Materials for Electronics Conjugated Polymer Interfaces with Metals and Semiconductors, J. L. Br6das, W. R. Salaneck and G. Wegner (Eds) (North Holland, Amsterdam, 1994), p. 113. 

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