화학공학소재연구정보센터
Macromolecules, Vol.33, No.21, 7827-7834, 2000
Homogenization mechanism of spinodally decomposed polymer blends via Baker's transformation
An uniaxial compression process is repeatedly applied at room temperature to homogenize an immiscible polymer blend composed of a random copolymer of poly(styrene-ran-butadiene) and polybutadiene. The different stages of this process are investigated by transmission electron microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy, and light scattering. The bicontinuous phase-separated morphology developed in the as-prepared sample is transformed into a lamellar-like morphology with the lamellar normals preferentially oriented parallel to the compression axis upon applying this process. The characteristic spacing parallel to the compression axis is decreasing constantly, and when the spacing becomes smaller than the critical length, the homogenization finally occurs.