THEORIES AND METHODS FOR STUDIES ON POLYMER MELT DIFFUSION AT INTERFACES

Regarding to the interfacial diffusion studies strongly relating to the polymer processing, this article provides a review on the basic theories of mutual diffusion at polymer interfaces from the dynamics and thermodynamics viewpoints. Various conventional methods used to study the interfacial diffusion of polymer melts are systematically introduced according to the research progresses on polymer interfacial diffusion. In particular, rheology as a newly developed method to determine effectively the dynamic interfacial diffusion process of polymer melts, is emphasized in details in the aspects of its application principle and progress,which plays important roles in developing the polymer diffusion theories from the molecular dynamics viewpoint and helps design interfacial structures of polymers and improve performances of polymers in the processing. The prospects of studying the interfacial diffusion of polymer melts are proposed.