Kinetics of flow-induced coalescence and form relaxation in polymer blendsas studied by rheo small angle light scattering

The kinetics of flow-induced coalescence in PS/PMMA (polystyrene/polymethyl methacrylate) blends containing 1 wt% and 5 wt% PMMA was measured by rheo s mall angle light scattering under conditions of non-deformed droplets. The results are in agreement with a coalescence model which includes binary hyd rodynamic interactions. Under conditions where droplet deformation occurs, coalescence is suppressed and the interfacial tension was determined from t he form relaxation time on the basis of the Palierne model.