Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy: Probing the Structure of Multicomponent Polymer Blends

Abstract
Polymer blends may be defined a s physical mixtures of two or more polymers [1]. Conceptually, polymer blends are analogous to metal alloys, materials which date back to the dawn of civilization. In much the same way as the metallurgists sought to improve the chemical and physical properties of metallic materials by mixing various metals, polymer scientists have also employed this technique to produce a wide variety of useful polymeric materials. However, we must be careful not to push this analogy too far. There are many fundamental differences between these two classes of materials.