Article
Morphology of Poly(ethylene oxide)/ Poly(vinyl acetate) Blends
European Polymer
(1987)
Abstract
The morphology of poly( ethylene oxide)/poly(vinyl acetate) (PEO/PVAc) blends was exaimined
using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and optical microscopy. The morphological and structural
parameters of the blends are dependent on both composition and crystallization conditions. Q;itical
microscopy revealed that blend samples prepared by solution casting crystallized with volume-:filling
crystals up to a composition of 30/70 wt% PEO/PVAc; at higher PV Ac content there was no ev!dcnce
of crystallization in the temperature range studied. Pure PEO always crystallized with a spherulite-hedr:ite
morphology. The formation of spherulites was relatively favoured at lower crystallization temper:nures
and by addition of PV Ac to PEO. Small angle X-ray intensity profiles were analyzed using a r=ntly
developed methodology and it was found that, for a given crystallization temperature, the amorphoUIS and
interphase thicknesses increased with increasing PV Ac content but that the average crystalline thidness
was independent of composition. The morphological and structural properties of the PEO/PVAc ':llends
were attributed to the presence of non-crystallizable material in both the interlamellar and intenli:nillar
regions.
Keywords
- Morphology,
- Poly(ethylene oxide),
- Poly(vinyl acetate),
- blends
Disciplines
Publication Date
1987
Citation Information
William MacKnight, C. Silvestre, F. E. Karasz and E. Martuscelli. "Morphology of Poly(ethylene oxide)/ Poly(vinyl acetate) Blends" European Polymer Vol. 23 Iss. 10 (1987) p. 745 - 751 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/william_macknight/251/