Journal of Adhesion, Vol.96, No.8, 760-775, 2020
Statistical adhesion strength of an amorphous polymer-its miscible blend interface self-healed at a temperature below the bulk glass transition temperature
The distribution of the lap-shear strength developed at an amorphous asymmetric compatible interface between the contacting thick (bulk) films of entangled polystyrene (PS) with its miscible blend with poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) (75 wt.% PS and 25 wt.% PPO) at a constant healing temperature (T) of 90 degrees C has been analyzed by using a Weibull statistical model. This T was below the bulk glass transition temperatures (T-g(bulk)) of PS and PS-PPO blend of 103 degrees C and 121 degrees C, respectively, but above the surface glass transition temperatures (T-g(surface)) of PS of 55 degrees C and of the blend of 83 degrees C. The so-called Weibull modulus and the scale parameter have been estimated for the partially self-healed PS-(PS-PPO blend) interface and analyzed as a function of healing time. The results obtained have been discussed and compared with those reported recently for the PS and poly(methyl methacrylate) interfaces.