English Abstract
Polymer Blends: Principles and Applications
Part 1. Polymer-Polymer Miscibility and Applications of Miscible Blends

Takashi INOUE
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Yamagata University
Nippon Gomu Kyokaishi,(2005),78(3),122-127 General Review in Japanese


Abstract
Thermodynamic discussion on the miscibility between dissimilar polymers leads to: (i) the contribution of combinatorial entropy of mixing to the miscibility is negligibly small and (ii) the miscibility is mostly caused by the hydrogen bonding-type intermolecular specific interactions and the repulsive intramolecular interactions in random copolymers. By analyzing the fee energy curve, the free energy of mixing as a function of composition, phase diagrams are described in terms of the binodal curve and the spinodal curve.
Criterions of polymer-polymer miscibility are deduced in the framework of such thermodynamic discussion.
The polymer-polymer miscibility is applied: (i) to improve melt-processability (PPE/PS), (ii) to improve ozone resistance (NBR/PVC), (iii) to reduce optical anisotropy
(to provide zero-birefringence plastics), (iv) to improve heat resistance (PEEK/PEI), and (v) to make materials flexible (PVC/EVA).

Keywords:
thermodynamics, phase diagram, miscibility, hydrogen bonding, binodal, spinodal, applications
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