POLYMER-POLYMER INTERACTIONS

The successful development of multicomponent polymer systems generally requires careful control of polymer-polymer interactions since this is important for achieving useful mechanical properties, optically clear mixtures (miscibility), coupling of impact modifiers to a brittle matrix, compatibilization of immiscible polymers, etc. Random copolymers offer a powerful tool for achieving the desired results since they permit adjustment of both the intermolecular interactions between the mixture components and the intramolecular interactions within components. In fact, random copolymers are more often found to be miscible with other polymers than are homopolymers because of this. Recent advances in the development of theoretical frameworks and experimental techniques for evaluating polymer-polymer interactions are described. A matrix of monomer unit pair interaction energies is being constructed which is useful for making predictions about interactions and phase behavior in other blend systems.