RUI: Phase Separation Kinetics of Ternary Polymer Blends Containing a Random Copolymer

本本科院校研究（RUI）奖为一项涉及本科生研究三元聚合物体系相分离动力学的研究项目提供为期三年的支持。研究训练是本科学生广泛化学教育的一个组成部分。这项研究将补充对本科生研究的不断增加的承诺，并将使研究和教学更加融合。该研究计划的重点是二元聚合物共混物与无规共聚物增容的相分离动力学。具体体系是聚丁二烯、聚苯乙烯和丁二烯与苯乙烯的无规共聚物。相分离动力学将采用太平洋路德大学（PLU）建造的温度跳变广角光散射仪进行测量。所得到的光散射信息将与成核和生长以及旋多分解理论进行比较。这些相分离动力学研究的结果(1)将为无规共聚物作为相容剂的作用提供新的信息；(2)将有助于与理论和模拟进行比较；(3)将允许将随机共聚物的功效与已发表的嵌段共聚物的功效进行比较；最后(4)可为无规共聚物增容剂的设计提供信息。＊＊＊

9705424 Waldow This Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) award is for three years of support for a research program involving undergraduate students to study phase separation kinetics of a ternary polymer system. %%% Pesearch training is an integral component of a broad chemical education for undergraduate students. This research will complement the growing commitment to undergraduate research and will allow greater integration of research and teaching. The research plan focuses on kinetics of phase separation in binary polymer blends compatibilized with a random copolymer. The specific system is polybutadiene, polystyrene, and a random copolymer of butadiene and styrene. The phase separation kinetics will be measured using a temperature jump wide angle light scattering instrument constructed at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU). The resulting light scattering information will be compared with nucleation and growth as well as with spinodal decomposition theories. The results from these kinetics of phase separation studies (1) will provide new information about the effect a random copolymer has as a compatibilizer;(2) will help in making comparisons to theory and simulations;(3) will allow comparisons of efficacy of random copolymers as compared to published work on block copolymers; and lastly (4) may lead to information used in the design of random copolymer compatibilizers. ***