Polymer Blends, Functionally Graded

Abstract

Many reports have been published on functionally graded materials made of metals and ceramics. These graded materials have improved strength against thermal stress, electromagnetic, and optical properties. There have been particularly many reports on a functionally graded ceramic, which can be called a smart material. In this article a detailed description of the preparative mechanism for functionally graded polymer blends in the dissolution–diffusion method is given. An explanation is given of how the optimum conditions are determined for the several types of functionally graded polymer blends, polyvinyl chloride/polymethyl methacrylate, polyhexyl methacrylate (PHMA), or polycaprolactone, and bisphenol A type polycarbonate/polystyrene. Graded structures of the blends are characterized by measuring FTIR spectra, Raman microscopic spectra, thermal behaviors around the glass transition temperature by the DSC method or by SEM‐EDX (Scaning Elecro Microscopy‐Energy Disperisive X‐ray Spectrometer). Further, several types of functional properties, especially smart performance, are discussed, which result from the graded structure. Finally, the prospects of functionally graded polymer blends for applications are discussed.

Performance of the LHCb Silicon Tracker in p - p collisions at the LHC

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