Assessment of morphology in transient and steady state regimes resulting from phase separation in polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) blend

Abstract

Morphology development after phase separation in polystyrene (PS)/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blend was assessed both in transient and in steady state regimes. Phase segregation was evaluated by various techniques including optical microscopy, light transmission, dynamic scanning calorimetry and rheological analyses. The steady state particle size resulted from phase separation was determined experimentally and then compared to the predictions of both the emulsion models that assume zero-thickness interfacial boundaries and to the asymptotic value of the Cahn–Hilliard theory that assumes rather a diffuse interphase.