Macromolecules, Vol.29, No.22, 7276-7279, 1996
On Pinning Domain Growth in 2-Phase Polymer Liquids
What has been reported as "pinning" or severely reduced growth rates of phase-separated domains in off-critical polymer blends is shown to be the normal effect of crossover between two kinetic regimes associated with morphology of the liquid-liquid system. The bicontinuous liquid microstructure formed by spinodal decomposition grows rapidly by hydrodynamic coarsening where size <(xi)over bar> similar to Lt until the percolated system dissociates into droplets. The droplets then grow by classical coarsening with radius increasing as (r) over bar(3) similar to Kt, where K may be calculated for Ostwald ripening and/or coalescence with no impediments to mobility at any size scale. Apparent pinning persists for the induction period Delta t approximate to (r) over bar 3/K required for the slower particle growth to be observed, and the characteristic (r) over bar proportional to t(1/3) behavior is not recovered for approximately 10 Delta t. Numerical simulations of spinodal decomposition in polymer blends, which to date omit hydrodynamics, are unable to capture the change in growth mechanism and rate on snitching from percolated to droplet morphology.
Keywords:CELL DYNAMICAL-SYSTEMS;SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION;SEPARATION DYNAMICS;LIGHT-SCATTERING;BLENDS;MIXTURES;COPOLYMERS