Abstract
This paper summarizes the results of studies describing the effect of block and graft copolymers on the phase structure formation and evolution in immiscible polymer blends. The main phenomenological rules for prediction of the copolymer compatibilization efficiency are briefly described and compared with selected experimental data. The results of the theories of equilibrium distribution of a copolymer between the blend interface and the bulk phases and its effect on the blend interfacial tension are summarized. The theories of the compatibilizer effect on the droplet breakup in flow are analyzed. The mechanisms of the copolymer effect on the coalescence of droplets in flow are compared and their effect on the droplet size is shown. The problems of reliable description of the effect of a copolymer on the coalescence in quiescent state are presented. Obstacles to derivation of a realistic theory of the copolymer effect on the competition between the droplet breakup and coalescence are discussed. Selected experimental data are compared with the theoretical results.
Highlights
Materials 2021, 14, Many polymer blends are incompatible. This means that their components show large interfacial tension, which leads to rough phase structure and poor mechanical properties of these blends
Well known and generally accepted knowledge is that block and graft copolymers with blocks identical to, miscible with or adhering to the related components of a polymer blend can serve as compatibilizers [1,2,3,4]
A basic principle of the effect of copolymers on the morphology of polymer blends, which is tendency of copolymers to be localized at the interface with the blocks oriented to the related homopolymers, is well understood
Summary
Materials 2021, 14, Many polymer blends are incompatible. This means that their components show large interfacial tension, which leads to rough phase structure and poor mechanical properties of these blends. They need to be made compatible for their successful applications in practice [1,2,3]. Well known and generally accepted knowledge is that block and graft copolymers with blocks identical to, miscible with or adhering to the related components of a polymer blend can serve as compatibilizers [1,2,3,4]. A much more peculiar task is the proper choice of the structure of the copolymers for achieving the optimum structure and properties of a given blend
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