Miscibility

About: Miscibility is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5521 publications have been published within this topic receiving 133547 citations. The topic is also known as: miscible.

Miscibility, Thermal Properties, and Enzymatic Degradability of Binary Blends of Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid] with Poly(ε-caprolactone-co-lactide)

Abstract: The miscibility, morphology, and biodegradability of binary blends of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid] (P[(R)-3HB]) (Mn = 300 000) with poly(e-caprolactone-co-lactide) (P(CL-co-LA)) (Mn = 1500−40 000) have been studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), enzymatic hydrolysis, and biodegradation in river water. Copolymers of e-caprolactone (CL) and (R,S)-lactide (LA) with a wide range of compositions were prepared by ring-opening copolymerization of e-caprolactone with (R,S)-lactide in the presence of aluminum triisopropoxide as an initiator. The P(CL-co-LA) samples were found to have a random sequence distribution of monomer units by 13C NMR analysis. The P(CL-co-LA) films were hydrolyzed by a lipase from Rhizopus delemar, and the rates of enzymatic hydrolysis were higher than that of PCL homopolymer. DSC analysis revealed that the solid-state structure of P[(R)-3HB]/P(CL-co-LA) blends was strongly dependent on the copolymer compositi...

Effect of Metal Oxides on Thermal Degradation of Poly(vinyl acetate) and Poly(vinyl chloride) and Their Blends

Abstract: The role of metal oxides on the thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAC) and their blends was investigated by thermogravimetry (TGA). While the degradation of PVAC was mildly affected by the presence of metal oxides, the degradation of PVC was greatly influenced by metal oxides. Both polymers followed a two-step degradation mechanism involving chlorine or acetate radical removal followed by polyolefinic backbone breakage. The isokinetic temperatures and rate determined from the compensation plots indicated that the mode of olefinic backbone breakage is the same for both the polymers. FTIR studies after the first stage showed the disappearance of the C-Cl of PVC and C=O and C-O groups of PVAC, suggesting the formation of a polyolefinic chain. Blends of PVC-PVAC were obtained by solution blending by dissolving the polymers in tetrahydrofuran. Scanning electron microscopy and TGA showed complete miscibility of polymers in the blend. The first-stage degradation of the blend was greatly influenced by the presence of PVC and metal oxides, suggesting that hydrogen chloride liberated from PVC influenced the decomposition behavior of PVAC. The second-stage degradation (olefinic breakage) of the blends was mildly affected by the metal oxides and the breakage was similar to that of pure polymers.

Self-Assembly through Competitive Interactions of Miscible Diblock Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends: Poly(vinylphenol-b-methyl methacrylate)/Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) Blend

Abstract: We have investigated a new type A-b-B/C blend system, poly(vinylphenol-b-methyl methacrylate)/ poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVPh-b-PMMA)/PVP, where PVPh-b-PMMA block (A-b-B) copolymer, PVPh/PVP (A/C), and PMMA/PVP (B/C) blends are all miscible through hydrogen bond interaction or dipole-dipole interaction. Because of the significantly stronger hydrogen bond interaction between PVPh and PVP than that between PVPh and PMMA, this miscible PVPh-b-PMMA copolymer becomes immiscible up on blending with 20-60 wt % PVP (27-56 wt % PMMA in the blend system) and can self-assemble to form ordered morphologies. Results from small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and TEM consistently indicate that different compositions of PVPh-b-PMMA/PVP blends induce different microphase separation structures such as hexagonal and lamellar phases. However, sharp and multiple orders of diffraction are absent from the SAXS profiles, indicating relatively limited sizes of the ordered domains. Large polydispersity in the molecular weight of PVP and small differences in the interaction parameters of the three components of PVPh, PMMA, and PVP are attributed to be the main reasons that limit the microphase separation in this blend system.

Phase behavior of polyarylate blends

Abstract: Melt mixtures of a polyarylate based on bisphenol A and tere/isophthalates were made with poly(ethylene terephthalate), several cyclohexane dimethanol-based polyesters, polycarbonate, and the poly(hydroxy ether) of bisphenol A. The phase behavior was determined using classical methods. With minimum time and temperature exposure, polyarylate exhibits phase separation with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) at >30 wt % PET. With moderate time and temperature exposure, adequate ester exchange occurs with polyarylate/PET blends to yield single-phase behavior. The activation energy of the ester-exchange reaction was determined to be 37.0 kcal/mole. Under minimum time and temperature exposure conditions, miscibility of polyarylate with three different cyclohexane dimethanol-based polyesters was observed. A polyarylate-polycarbonate 50:50 mixture was shown to be phase separated under minimum mixing conditions but capable of exchange reactions to yield single-phase behavior with proper time and temperature exposure. Likewise, a 70:30 polyarylate-poly(hydroxy ether of bisphenol A) blend was phase separated as mixed, but with further elevated temperature exposure, a cross-linked single-phase system resulted. The density versus composition of the polyarylate-PET blends was linear with the phase-separated systems but exhibited a slight densification with the miscible systems produced by higher temperature exposure. The glass transition of the miscible polyarylate-polyester blends exhibited a significant deviation (lower) than predicted by a linear or Fox equation prediction. This was attributed to the low value of ΔCp (specific heat difference between the glass and rubber states) of polyarylate as noted by the Couchman equation to be a major factor in the Tg versus composition relationship. The optical characteristics of the blends paralleled the observed phase behavior as single-phase blends were all transparent (in the amorphous state) whereas phase-separated blends were translucent to opaque. These results clearly demonstrate the importance of ester-exchange or transesterification reactions in the phase behavior of blends of polymers capable of these reactions.