Modeling and analysis of the compatibility of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends with surface and shear inducing effects

Abstract

AbstractThe compatibility of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends was studied over a wide range of compositions at 400 K by mesoscopic modeling. Sixteen patterned surfaces of four types were designed and designated as “ci,” “co,” “gra,” and “rg” to study their influence on changing the microscopic phase morphology. The topography of the “ci” series surfaces was shaped by semicircular balls. Different radii were applied to simulate different degrees of surface roughness. The “co” series were composed of cubic columns as the mask, and the cubic columns were separated by equal spaces. Various sizes and heights of columns were used to simulate different degrees of surface roughness. The “gra” series were composed of surfaces with different areas of section and the same height to simulate different degrees of surface roughness. The “rg” series were composed of concentric cuboids with continuous increasing heights and sizes. The “co” series surfaces were the most efficient distribution in changing the microscopic phase morphology, the “gra” and “rg” series surfaces were both the secondary, and the “ci” series surfaces placed the last. The results show that the effect of inducing surfaces depended on both the pattern of surfaces and the compositions of the blends. The shear effect was effective in changing the phase morphology, but its influencing effect depended on not only the shear rate, but also the compositions of the blends, especially when the blends were rich in PEO. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011