COMPOSITIONAL QUENCHING: A PROCESS FOR FORMING POLYMER-IN-POLYMER MICRODISPERSIONS AND COCONTINUOUS NETWORKS

Abstract
Compositional quenching is a new process for blending incompatible polymers. Two or more polymers are dissolved in a common solvent which is subsequently removed by flash devolatilization. The theory of the process is described in terms of Flory-Huggins thermodynamics, the Landau-Ginzburg functional, and a modified Cahn-Hilliard diffusion equation. The efficacy of the process is demonstrated by the successful impact modification of several matrix polymers.