Formation of Co-continuous Structures in Melt-Mixed Immiscible Polymer Blends

TLDR: In this article, the identification, characterization, and properties of co-continuous structures as well as the development of cocontinuous structure during the melt blending process are discussed, where the coexistence of at least two continuous structures within the same volume is considered.

Abstract: Co-continuous structures can be regarded as the coexistence of at least two continuous structures within the same volume. Blends with co-continuous structures may combine the properties of both components in a favorable way, for example, mechanical moduli. This review article deals with the identification, characterization, and properties of co-continuous structures as well as with the development of co-continuous structures during the melt blending process. Co-continuous structures usually can be formed within a composition region about the phase inversion composition, which mainly depends on the viscosity ratio. On the other hand, co-continuous structures can be found independent of composition as intermediate stages during the initial state of morphology development and during phase inversion process in blends in which the component finally forming the dispersed phase forms the matrix in early mixing states. In addition, even at low volume fractions of one component, stable co-continuous morph...