Temperature dependence of the interaction between n‐heptane, carbon tetrachloride, and benzene and poly(vinyl methyl ether) between 120 and 180°C

Abstract

AbstractThe corresponding‐states theory of Flory has been used to characterize the interaction between three different probes, n‐heptane, carbon tetrachloride, and benzene, with poly(vinyl methyl ether). Different results are obtained if the characteristic parameters are corrected for their temperature dependences, which are compared for the three different probes. It turns out that the variation with temperature of the interaction energy parameter X12 is also different when using temperature‐dependent or temperature‐independent reduction parameters. The interaction is weak and very sensitive to small deviations from ideality in the corresponding‐states theory. These results suggest that a weakening of polymer‐polymer interactions, and not free volume differences, is responsible for the phase separation in polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) blends.