SMALL-ANGLE NEUTRON-SCATTERING STUDIES OF PHASE-EQUILIBRIA IN BLENDS OF DEUTERATED POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE) WITH SOLUTION CHLORINATED POLYETHYLENE

Blends of deuterated poly(methyl methacrylate) with solution chlorinat ed polyethylene have been studied by small angle neutron scattering. T he effects of varying molecular weight and chlorination level have bee n ascertained on the polymer-polymer interaction parameters obtained a s well as on the position of the spinodal curves. The blend was studie d both in the one-phase and in the two-phase regions of the phase diag ram. For the dPMMA-rich compositions the phase separation mechanism ap peared to be spinodal decomposition. For compositions rich in SCPE the mechanism of phase separation was nucleation and growth. For certain compositions evidence has been found for incompatibility in the polyme r-polymer system arising from the sample preparation.