ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL EFFECT IN IMMISCIBLE POLYMER BLENDS

A new model of the electrorheological (ER) effect for immiscible polym er blends is' proposed on the basis of microscopic observations. In th e absence of an electric field the polymer with high viscosity is disp ersed as droplets in the other polymer with low viscosity, while in th e presence of an electric field, the droplets stretch and coalesce to form bridges between electrodes, resulting in the increase of the macr oscopic viscosity. A few experimental results are given to confirm the validity of this model. (C) 1997 The Society of Rheology.