Historical Perspective of Advances in the Science and Technology of Polymer Blends

Abstract

This paper will review the important developments in the field of polymer blends. The subject of polymer blends has been one of the most prolific areas in polymer science and technology in the past five decades judging from publications and patents on the subject. Although a continuing important subject, the peak intensity occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. The author has been active in this area for five decades and this paper is a recollection of some of the important milestones/breakthroughs in the field. The discussion will cover the development of the theory relevant to polymer blends, experimental methods, approaches to achieve compatibility in immiscible/incompatible blends, the nature of phase separation and commercial activity.

Effect of copolymers containing glycidyl methacrylate functional groups on the rheological, mechanical, and morphological properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

“…Possible reactions between the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups of PET and the epoxy groups present in EGMA and EMAGMA copolymers : (a) Esterification. (b) Etherification.…”

Poly(lactic acid) blends in biomedical applications

“…With knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics of the blends, they can be tuned for target mechanical and electrical properties while avoiding adverse effects of demixing, metastable and unstable stages. Figure 1 shows how phase separation occurs with variation in temperature and composition [36]. In a study to analyze the miscibility of PLA and poly(butylene adipate-co-terphthalate) (PBAT), Dil and co-workers [39] used modulated DSC to determine one-way partial miscibility of PBAT in PLArich phases, which declines when a higher molecular weight PBAT is used in the blend.…”

Correlating the morphology of poly(L-lactide)/poly(butylene succinate)/graphene oxide blends nanocomposites with their crystallization behavior

“…However, given that most polymer pairs are thermodynamically immiscible, often the final blends are fragile or with poor mechanical properties [1,2]. Several strategies for improving the compatibility between the different components of the blend have been developed [9,10]. These traditionally include polymer surface modification by chemical reactions, and the incorporation of block-copolymers [2].…”