POLY(ETHYLENE OXIDE) BLENDS WITH CROSS-LINKING POLYESTER RESIN

The miscibility of polyethylene oxide (PEO) with oligoester and polyes ter resin, the morphology of the blends and the kinetics of PEO crysta llization in the blends were studied by optical microscopy and differe ntial scanning calorimetry. The blends were found to be miscible with uncured resin at 60-degrees-C. After isothermal crystallization of PEO from liquid oligoester or UV cured polyester about 20% of the PEO mat erial is still dissolved in the resin and it is incorporated between l amellae or in the interspherulitic regions. It was observed that the g rowth rate of PEO spherulites and the degree of crystallinity of PEO i n the blends decreases very fast together with a decrease of the PEO c ontent and the progress of the resin crosslinking.