INITIAL-STAGE OF STRUCTURE FORMATION DURI NG PHASE-SEPARATION AND CURE OF POLYMER BLENDS

A model is proposed that describes a combined process of cure and phas e separation in a multicomponent polymer blend. A size distribution fu nction of the concentration inhomogeneities in the initial process sta ge is derived. Conditions necessary for the detection of these inhomog eneities in the light scattering experiments are considered The concen tration and temperature dependences of the functional soup conversion and the number-average molecular mass are determined for the microstru ctures formed in the linear process stage away from the spinodal of th e initial blend.