Mechanical properties of emulsion polymer blends

Citation
Lm. Robeson et Ra. Berner, Mechanical properties of emulsion polymer blends, J POL SC PP, 39(11), 2001, pp. 1093-1106
Citations number
29
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Organic Chemistry/Polymer Science
Journal title
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE PART B-POLYMER PHYSICS
ISSN journal
0887-6266 → ACNP
Volume
39
Issue
11
Year of publication
2001
Pages
1093 - 1106
Database
ISI
SICI code
0887-6266(20010601)39:11<1093:MPOEPB>2.0.ZU;2-Y
Abstract
Polymer blend technology has been one of the most investigated areas in pol ymer science in the past 3 decades. The one area of polymer blends that has been virtually ignored involves simple emulsion blends, although several a rticles have recently appeared that address film formation and mechanical c haracteristics. In this study, we investigated the mechanical property beha vior of emulsion blends composed of low/high-glass-transition-temperature p olymers (where low and high mean below and above the test temperature, resp ectively). The emulsions chosen for this study had similar particle sizes, and the mixtures were theologically stable. Two conditions were chosen, a b inary combination of polymers that were thermodynamically immiscible and an other system that was thermodynamically miscible. The mechanical property r esults over the entire composition range were compared with the predictions of the equivalent box model (EBM) with the universal parameters predicted by percolation theory. An array of randomly mixed and equal-size particles of differing moduli was expected to show excellent agreement with theory, a nd the emulsion blends provided an excellent experimental basis for testing the theory. For the immiscible blend, the EBM prediction for the modulus s howed excellent agreement with experimental results. With tensile strength, the agreement between the modulus and theory was good if the yield strengt h for the higher glass-transition-temperature polymer was employed in compa rison with the actual tensile strength. The phase inversion point (where bo th phases were equally continuous) was at a 0.50 volume fraction of each co mponent (based on an analysis employing Kerner's equation), just as expecte d for a random mixture of equal-size particles. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.