INTERFACIAL STRUCTURE AND KINETIC MIXING OF Li-SPS/PC BLEND STUDIED BY NEUTRON REFLECTIVITY

Abstract

Neutron reflectivity have been used as a tool to investigate polymer-polymer interdiffusion as a result of the interfacial structure and kinetic mixing of a partially miscible system polycarbonate and a lightly sulfonated polystyrene ionomer. The diffusion in this system with annealing at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of both polymers has been measured. The interfacial profiles obtained for this system are described by symmetric Gaussian interfaces and the diffusion process can be expected to follow the function of square root time, until a thermodynamical equilibrium is reached. In this case results suggest that the changes in the thickness layer are very slow and non-linearly dependent on the square roots time and ratio of the diffusion is extremely slow.