A miscibility study of ternary blends of polystyrene, tetramethylbisphenol-A polycarbonate, and poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)

Abstract

Phase behaviorof ternary blends of polystyrene (PS), tetramethylbisphenol-A polycarbonate (TMPC), and poly(2,6-dimethyl-l,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) at two different temperatures (i.e., 210 and 300 °C, respectively) was studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry. Miscibility of the ternary blends at either temperature was found restricted to limited compositions, in agreement with simulated spinodal curves based on published values of interaction parameters. The limited ability of PS, which is separately miscible with TMPC and PPO at 210 °C, to act as a conamon 'solvent' for the immiscible TMPC/PPO pair at this temperature was explained in terms of the disparity in PS/TMPC and PS/PPO pair interactions (i.e., the 'IAzI effect').