Neutron Reflectivity Study of Diblock Formation During Reactive Blending Processes

Published

August 1, 2000

Author(s)

Makoto Hayashi, H Grull, A R. Esker, M J. Weber, Li Piin Sung, Sushil K. Satija, Charles C. Han, TT Hashimoto

Abstract

In a series of neutron reflectivity experiments, we studied the fundamental process of diblock formation during reactive blending processes of an immiscible blend comprised of normal polysulfone (hPSU) containing 30 % reactive endgroup-modified deuterated polysulfone (dPSU-R) and polyamide (PA). Diblock formation (dPSU-b-PA) and dPSU-R enrichment at the interface between the incompatible polymers were monitored in thin bilayer films using neutron reflectivity. These results are compared to experimental results obtained with bilayer films of pure non-reactive deuterated PSU (dPSU) and PA and pure reactive dPSU-R and PA, respectively. The interfacial width in the pure reactive system is slightly larger than that in the pure non-reactive system, indicating the formation of a diblock copolymer at the interface of the reactive system. This study concludes that it is possible to diminish but not eliminate the interfacial tenxion (γ > O) between the PSU and PA, as it is not possible to build up a large enough normalized surface excesses, z*/R_g < 1, of dPSU-b-PA.

Citation

Macromolecules

Volume

33

Issue

No. 17

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

diblock copolymer formation, neutron reflectivity, polymer blend films, polymer thin films

Citation

Hayashi, M. , Grull, H. , Esker, A. , Weber, M. , Sung, L. , Satija, S. , Han, C. and Hashimoto, T. (2000), Neutron Reflectivity Study of Diblock Formation During Reactive Blending Processes, Macromolecules, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=851704 (Accessed October 24, 2025)