Flow Morphology of Microphase-Separated Block Copolymers

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The aim of this research is to understand the flow mechanism of microphase-separated block copolymers in the strong-segregation limit (SSL). Microphase-separated block copolymers are chemically composite materials which play a prominant role in the formulation of many advanced materials. New material design requires an in- depth understanding of the physics of the component materials and of the interaction of their physics with processing. The research focusses on three tasks: First, they intend to observe directly the flow morphology of block copolymers in the SSL using small-angle neutron scattering. Second, they will do a comprehensive comparison between the rheological properties of samples with macroscopically ordered mesophases versus isotropic materials. Third, they will elucidate the impact of mesophase shape on linear-viscoelastic properties. Since microphase- separated block copolymers are very much like well-mixed incompatible polymer blends, the experiments performed will also bear on general questions in polymer thermodynamics, such as whether shearing a binary mixture can affect its phase diagram.