Thermosetting polymer blends of unsaturated polyester resin and poly(ethylene oxide) .1. Miscibility and thermal properties

The miscibility and thermal properties of polyethylene oxide(PEO)/oligoester resin (OER) blends and PEO/crosslinked polyester (PER) blends were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of quenching process on the crystallization behavior of PEO for these two systems were investigated and discussed in details. It has been found that a single, composition dependent glass transition temperature (T-g) was observed for all the blends, indicating that the two systems are miscible in the amorphous state at overall compositions. From the melting point depression of PEG, the interaction parameter chi(12) for PEO/OER blends and that for PEO/PER blends were found to be -1.29 and -2.01, respectively. The negative values of chi(12) confirmed that both PEO/OER blends and PEO/PER blends are miscible in the molten state. Quenching process has a greater hindrance on the crystallization of PEO/OER blends than on that of PEO/PER blends. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.