Small angle neutron scattering study of the thermodynamics of highly interacting PαMSAN/dPMMA blends
File(s)Aoki_et_al_PMMA_PAMSAN__2018__REVISED.pdf (3.18 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(α-methyl styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (PαMSAN) form partially miscible blends with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behaviour. We revisit this system using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), examining the effect of molecular weight (Mw) of deuterated PMMA (dPMMA), blend composition (φ) and temperature (T) in the homogeneous region. All data are well described by the Random Phase Approximation (RPA) theory, enabling us to determine thermodynamic and structural parameters, including the correlation length ξ, G00 (the second derivative of the free energy of mixing with respect to composition), and the statistical segment length a of each component. Phase boundaries are computed by extrapolation of G00 with temperature, to yield the spinodal, and inspection of Kratky plots to yield the binodal. For PαMSAN, a is determined to be 10.1±0.4 ˚A. Unsurprisingly, this system deviates strongly from Flory-Huggins expectations, exhibiting a minimal Mw dependence of the phase boundaries and φ-dependence of effective interaction parameter (˜χ). Comparison of G00 with values for other blend systems places PαMSAN/dPMMA in a class of highly interacting blends, expected from Cahn-Hilliard theory to yield small initial phase sizes upon spinodal demixing. This is confirmed experimentally, with an illustrative temperature jump resulting in an initial phase size of ' 30 nm.
Date Issued
2019-02-12
Date Acceptance
2019-01-10
Citation
Macromolecules, 2019, 52 (3), pp.1112-1124
ISSN
0024-9297
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
1112
End Page
1124
Journal / Book Title
Macromolecules
Volume
52
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2019 American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Macromolecules, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b02431
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Grant Number
EP/L020564/1
iCASE Voucher Number: 16000164 with Procter & Gamble
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Polymer Science
SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION
PHASE-SEPARATION
POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)
INTERACTION PARAMETER
NONUNIFORM SYSTEM
POLYMER BLEND
FREE-ENERGY
POLYBUTADIENE
MISCIBILITY
DEPENDENCE
Polymers
03 Chemical Sciences
09 Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-01-28