Polymer Alloys—Their Structure,Morphology, and Properties

Polymeric materials with novel properties for new technological applications are increasingly obtained by combining existing polymers, while the synthesis of new monomers has receded into the background. These polymer combinations or “alloys” (polyblends) are characterized by their chemical composition, the conformation of the chain molecules, and the morphology, i.e. the state of order at supramolecular level. Multiphase constitution is a typical characteristic of these substances, with a decisive influence on their macroscopic properties. The morphology of multiphase polymer alloys can be controlled to a limited extent via the chemical composition of their components when homopolymers are mixed in the melt or as dispersions. Graft copolymerization, on the other hand, makes it possible to achieve the desired morphology at a given chemical composition. Furthermore, transprent two-phase polymer alloys can be obtained under certain conditions. In multiphase polymers the reduction of stress without fracture, caused by mechanical loading will be treated using models. Certain combinations of properties such as hardness and toughness are connected with the coexistence of disperse and continuous phases. Equilibrium thermodynamical criteria for liquid mixtures wil be used to explain demixing phenomena in polymers. In the last few years it has become possible to determine the chain conformation experimentally using neutron scattering.