Compatibility Studies of Pairs of Polymers by Viscometric Measurements on Ternary Solutions of the Two Polymers

Abstract

Dilute solution viscometry results at 30.0°C are reported for three ternary solvent(1)/polymer(2)/polymer(3) systems involving tetrahydrofuran (THF), polystyrene (PS), polybutadiene (PBD), poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), specifically for the systems THF/PS/PBD, THF/PDMS/PVC, and THF/PVC/PS. Interaction parameters determined for both these ternary systems and binary solvent–polymer combinations were used to estimate degrees of compatibility. A number of criteria were applied and the results analyzed and compared. Compatibility was found for the THF/PS/PBD and THF/PDMS/PVC systems, but incompatibility for THF/PVC/PS system, results which should help clarify compatibilities of the corresponding polymer pairs in blends.

Dedicated to Professor John L. Stanford on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

Keywords:

• dilute solution viscometry
• compatibility of polymer blends
• thermodynamic interaction parameters

Acknowledgments

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the financial support provided MO by a Fulbright grant, and JEM by the National Science Foundation Grant DMR‐0314760 (Polymer Program, Division of Materials Research).

Notes

Dedicated to Professor John L. Stanford on the occasion of his 60th birthday.