| Abstract: | Compatibilization of polystyrene/polypropylene (PS/PP) blends, by use of a series of butadiene–styrene block copolymers was studied by means of small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The compatibilizers used differ in molar mass and the number of blocks. It was shown that the ability of a block copolymer (BC) to participate in the formation of an interfacial layer (and hence in compatibilization) is closely associated with the molar mass of styrene blocks. If the styrene blocks are long enough to form entanglements with the styrene homopolymer in the melt, then the BC is trapped inside this phase of the PS/PP blends, and its migration to the PS/PP interface is difficult. In this case, the BC does not participate in the formation of the interfacial layer nor, consequently, in the compatibilization process. On the other hand, the BC's with the molar mass of the PS blocks below the critical value are proved to be localized at the PS/PP interface. This preferable entrapping of some styrene–butadiene BC's in the PS phase of the PS/PP blend is, of course, connected to the differing miscibility of the BC blocks with corresponding components of this blend. Although the styrene block is chemically identical to the styrene homopolymer in the blend, the butadiene block is similar to the PP phase. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1647–1656, 1999 |
