ON THE THEORY OF CHEMICAL-REACTIONS IN PO LYMER BLENDS - INTERCHAIN EFFECTS AND MUTUAL DIFFUSION

The specific features of macromolecular reactions in polymer blends ar e treated by taking inter account the mutual diffusion, The main diffi culty in the theory of such processes is associated with the descripti on of mutual diffusion, because both the number of chains moving with different velocities and their diffusion characteristics vary during t he course of the reaction, For the polymeranalogous macromolecular rea ction characterized by accelerating interchain effect and taking place in a compatible mixture, we suggested a solution based on the approac hes of linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics, The obtained reaction-dif fusion equations give a detailed description of the evolution of blend structure as a result of the combined effect of macromolecular reacti ons and mutual diffusion, Competition between phase separation and the formation of block copolymer (via the reaction between terminal group s of two homopolymers) in an incompatible blend at the initial stage o f spinodal decomposition is also considered.