Phase diagrams of quasi-binary polymer solutions and blends

Abstract

Abstract A generalized Flory-Huggins theory is presented for use in fitting and predicting liquid-liquid phase diagrams of quasi-binary polymer solutions and blends, in which one component may be polydisperse. A temperature- and concentration-dependent χ parameter is employed. As has been demonstrated previously for simple binary systems, the form chosen for χ is sufficient to fit phase diagrams having upper and lower critical solution temperatures (UCST and LCST), combination of the two with the LCST lying above the UCST, closed loop and hour-glass shapes. In extending this work to quasi-binary systems, the phase diagrams obtained are compared with those for binary solutions and blends. It is illustrated how polymer solutions, in which the polymeric component has the same weight-average molecular weight and even the same polydispersity index, although having identical spinodals, may exhibit markedly different cloud-point curves. Comparison is also made with experimental data determined on a model quasi-binary system. Such comparisons may be used to extract the temperature and concentration dependence of χ for the system.