BLENDS OF POLY(ETHER IMIDE) AND AN AROMATIC POLY(ETHER AMIDE) - PHASE-BEHAVIOR AND CO2 TRANSPORT-PROPERTIES

Blends of poly( ether imide) (PEI, Ultem 1000) and an aromatic poly( e ther amide) were studied. Although homogeneous or heterogeneous blends can be obtained depending on the blend preparation method, the inhere nt miscibility of the mixture was finally established. The so-called e nthalpy relaxation method was used to detect one or two glass transiti on temperatures in the blends in spite of the similarity of the pure c omponent transitions. Fourier transform infrared analysis provided add itional evidence of the specific interactions, which could be in the o rigin of the miscibility. A preliminary study of the influence of the homogeneity level in the transport properties of the blend films was a lso undertaken. Carbon dioxide at 1 bar was used as a penetrant. (C) 1 998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.