Dielectric Dispersions in Commercial Polymer Blends

Abstract

The physical properties and service performance of polymer blends and alloys depend markedly on morphology and interactions affecting compatibility between individual phases. Permittivity measurements over extended ranges of frequency and temperature yield information regarding miscibility and morphology and offer an alternative approach to studies of commercial copolymers and blends. The existence of homopolymer sequences of polystyrene (PS), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polybutadiene (PB) is indicated in an acrylonitrile -butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymer together with information on composition in the core and shell regions of the latex particles dispersed throughout the styreneacrylonitrile (SAN) matrix. For blends of polycarbonate (PC) with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) evidence is presented for partial miscibility of the component polymers and for a two-phase morphology in which PBT-rich domains are distributed throughout a continuous phase rich in PC.