Characterization of miscible poly(ethylene oxide) poly(phenyl methacrylate) system and the analysis of asymmetric T-g-composition dependence

Miscibility in the binary blend comprising of semicrystalline poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and fully amorphous poly(phenyl methacrylate) (PPhMA) was dis covered for the first time. Differential scanning calorimetry, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy were performed to c haracterize and demonstrate miscibility in the PEO/PPhMA system (in amorpho us domains). The glass transition behavior suggests that the intermolecular interactions between the pairs are not particularly strong. The Fourier-tr ansform infrared spectroscopy results also revealed a weak-to-moderate inte raction via the phenyl ring might be likely. The overall behavior of the bl end is a miscible system with weak non-specific interactions, and the appar ent asymmetry in the T-g-composition relationship has been analyzed with a detailed view of partially segregated PEO crystalline domains. (C) 2000 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.