Determination of Binary Interaction Parameters for Ternary Polymer–Polymer–Solvent Systems Using Raman Spectroscopy

Víctor‐Alfonso Gracia‐Medrano‐Bravo,Lisa Merklein,Manuel Batora,Wilhelm Schabel,Philip Scharfer,Nikolas Oberle

doi:10.1002/admt.202000149

Víctor‐Alfonso Gracia‐Medrano‐Bravo, Lisa Merklein + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202000149

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Abstract

AbstractMultilayer coatings and drying of polymer films are widely used to produce different applications like organic electronics or barrier foils. If the product quality requires separated layers, partial or immiscible systems can be used to avoid interdiffusion between the layers. For the prediction of a possible phase separation of a ternary polymer–polymer–solvent system, it is required to measure or obtain from a data bank the three binary interaction parameters of the system to describe its thermodynamic behavior. This poses a challenge due to the scarce data and measurement techniques for polymer–solvent interaction parameters, but even more for polymer–polymer interaction parameters. In this work, a numerical routine is developed to predict the phase separation for given interaction parameters and is validated with literature results. Subsequently, different ternary polystyrene–poly(methyl methacrylate)–toluene mixtures are prepared and the resulting composition of the phase (or phases) is measured via Raman spectroscopy. The determined equilibrium data are used to fit the binary interaction parameters, which can be used afterward as input parameters for the numerical routine in order to predict the ternary phase diagram of the system.

Highlights

Multilayer coatings and drying of polymer films are widely used to produce light-emitting diodes, a layer intermixing different applications like organic electronics or barrier foils
For mers are miscible in the used solvent.[6]. This was displayed for a some applications, it is crucial for the device function to realize double layer consisting of a dry polystyrene (PS) layer and a wet a separated multilayer architecture as it is the case for varnishes film of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and toluene
Raman spectroscopy was utilized to measure the concentration of the single components in the ternary system PS-PMMA-Toluene at different solvent contents to determine LL equilibrium data, if the blends separate into two coexisting phases

Summary

Introduction

Multilayer coatings and drying of polymer films are widely used to produce light-emitting diodes, a layer intermixing different applications like organic electronics or barrier foils. For the prediction of a possible phase separation of a ternary polymer–polymer–solvent system, it is required to can even result in a complete device failure due to the negative influence on the charge transport.[3] medical applications as well as packaging foils require a mixture of different polymers measure or obtain from a data bank the three binary interaction parameters in order to obtain improved barrier and of the system to describe its thermodynamic behavior. This poses a challenge mechanical properties.[2] Regulating the due to the scarce data and measurement techniques for polymer–solvent interaction parameters, but even more for polymer–polymer interaction parameters. The Flory–Huggins lattice model has been widely used in literature to describe ther-

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Conclusion