US-France Cooperative Research: Block Copolymer Compati- bilizers for Immiscible Homopolymer Blends

该奖项将支持博士之间的合作研究。 Jeffrey Koberstein，材料科学研究所，大学 和查尔斯·萨德隆研究所的伊夫·加洛博士， 法国，斯特拉斯堡。 该项目的目标是 研究嵌段共聚物的界面活性 添加到不混溶的聚合物共混物中。 聚合物-聚合物界面的改性是一个难题 目前工业界和学术界都很感兴趣 这 兴趣在很大程度上是由于最近认识到， 聚合物界面行为的重要性， 一系列技术，包括橡胶增韧， 分散稳定性、聚合物共混物、粘附性和倍增器 薄膜. 这些技术中的许多采用嵌段共聚物， 完成这一修改。 然而，目前， 界面设计或优化的依据很少 针对特定应用的代理商。 的目的 建议的研究是通过开展这样一个基础， 系统研究了嵌段共聚物的作用 组成、内容和架构， 用于不混溶均聚物共混物的界面剂。 的 这一提议的成功取决于以下能力： 合成良好表征的嵌段共聚物，以定量- 确定它们的界面活性，并比较 这些结果与界面的热力学理论 特性. 该项目将受益于互补的 美国和法国集团的专业知识。 法国队有 在阴离子合成方面有丰富的经验， 特征在于嵌段共聚物，以及它们的结构- 财产关系。 美国队带来了专业知识， 嵌段共聚物结构散射表征 技术，并在测量聚合物-聚合物 界面张力 后一种技术已经证明 成功地用于块体界面活性的研究 共聚物。 当与由实验室制备的样品结合时， 法国团队，这些实验将为 有关界面活性的基本知识 嵌段共聚物及其与分子结构的关系 真的。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. Jeffrey Koberstein, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut and Dr. Yves Gallot, Institute Charles Sadron, Strasbourg, France. The objective of the project is to investigate the interfacial activity of block copolymers added to immiscible polymer blends. The modification of polymer-polymer interfaces is a problem of great current industrial and academic interest. This interest is due in large part to the recent recognition of the importance of polymer interphase behavior to a broad spectrum of technologies including rubber toughening, dispersion stability, polymer blends, adhesion, and multiplier films. Many of these technologies employ block copolymers to accomplish this modification. At present, however, there is little basis for the design or optimization of interfacial agents for specific applications. The objective of the proposed research is to provide such a basis by carrying out a systematic study of the effects of block copolymer composition, content, and architecture on their efficacy as interfacial agents for immiscible homopolymer blends. The success of this proposition is contingent upon the ability to synthesize well characterized block copolymers, to quantita- tively ascertain their interfacial activity, and to compare these results with thermodynamic theories of interfacial properties. The project will benefit from the complementary expertise of the US and French groups. The French team has extensive experience in the anionic synthesis of well- characterized block copolymers, as well as in their structure- property relationships. The U.S. team brings expertise in the structural characterization of block copolymers by scattering techniques, and in the measurement of polymer-polymer interfacial tension. The latter technique has already proven successful for the study of interfacial activity of block copolymers. When coupled with the specimens prepared by the French team, these experiments will provide a basis of fundamental knowledge pertaining to interfacial activity of block copolymers and its relationship to molecular architec- ture.