Phase equilibria in mixtures of block copolymer and homopolymer

Abstract

Phase diagrams were constructed experimentally for mixtures of a polystyrene- block-polyisoprene- block-polystyrene (SIS) copolymer and a homopolymer polystyrene. For the study, two SIS triblock copolymers having spherical and cylindrical microdomain structures, respectively, and a series of homopolymer polystyrenes were synthesized via anionic polymerization. In constructing phase diagrams, we combined the results of dynamic viscoelastic measurement (i.e. logarithmic plots of dynamic storage modulus versus dynamic loss modulus), which allowed us to determine the boundary between the mesophase and homogeneous phase, and turbidity measurement, which allowed us to determine cloud point curves for liquid-liquid (macrophase) separation. Experimental results are compared with predictions made by the theory of Hong and Noolandi. We have found that predicted results are at variance with experimental results.