EFFECT OF SATURATION ON THERMODYNAMICS OF POLYSTYRENE-POLYISOPRENE BLOCK-COPOLYMERS

The effect of saturation on thermodynamic interactions in polystyrene- polyisoprene (SI) diblock copolymers is examined by small-angle neutro n scattering (SANS) and birefringence. Experiments were conducted on a n SI sample in which both blocks had molecular weights of 7.5 x 10(3) and its saturated product-a poly(vinylcyclohexane)-poly(methylbutylene ) block copolymer (HSHI). The SANS data show a reversal in miscibility in the vicinity of 96-degrees-C. Above this temperature, the Flory-Hu ggins interaction parameter, chi, is higher in the HSHI polymer than i n the SI polymer, while the reverse is true at temperatures below 96-d egrees-C. The high-temperature result is consistent with published dat a of Gehlsen and Bates, while the low-temperature result is confirmed by birefringence measurements presented here.