Blends of a chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) with a polyurethane

Blends of a 67% chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) with a low-molecular-weight polyurethane are partially miscible over the 0–80% urethane compositional range. A single, composition-dependent glass transition temperature is observed from both DSC and dynamic mechanical measurements. The blends exhibit a cocontinuous morphology with domain sizes varying from 0.15 to 1.5 μm. These results point out that the relation between miscibility characteristics and domain size is a complex one, not only dependent upon the degree of miscibility, but also on the nature of the blend components and the test method used. Thus the domain size for a certain degree of miscibility is not a universal constant as was previously believed. The melt rheology of the blends as a function of composition is strongly “positive deviating” from the log additivity rule and fits a simplified version of the McAllister model. The strongly “positive deviating” rheological behavior of the blends is most likely a result of the cocontinuous morphology which makes the system behave as a highly entangled network.