Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol.50, No.10, 706-717, 2012
Mechanical properties of glass continuous poly(cyclohexylethylene) block copolymers
The bulk mechanical properties of linear triblock and pentablock copolymers that self-assemble into hexagonally packed cylinders with glassy, unentangled matrices of poly(cyclohexylethylene) (PCHE for a homopolymer, C for a block copolymer) with rubbery poly(ethylene-alt-propylene) (P) and semicrystalline polyethylene (E) minority components are examined. The tensile properties of high C content CEC triblock copolymer could not be quantified; however, CPC can plastically deform under uniaxial strain, unlike brittle PCHE. Both CECEC and CPCPC pentablock copolymers exhibited ductile tensile behavior, but the tensile properties of blends of these two pentablock copolymers show that the addition of crystallinity in the minority phase prevents strain softening after yielding and necking, which indicates that these samples deform only via crazing. On the other hand, the white gage region of CPCPC and the ability of CPCPC to neck indicate that high C content materials deform via shear yielding and crazing when the minority component is a rubbery material. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012