A coalescence mechanism for the coarsening behavior of polymer blends during a quiescent annealing process. I. Monodispersed particle system

A coalescence mechanism for the coarsening behavior of polymer blends durin g a quiescent annealing process is proposed. It suggests that the distribut ion state of dispersed particles in a matrix obeys a nearest-neighbor distr ibution function in multibody systems. Both drainage and merge stages are i ncluded in the coalescence. All existing forces, such as thermal agitation, van der Waals attraction, interfacial tension, and viscous resistance, tak e control of the coarsening process. A dynamic equation is used to compute the evolution of dispersed particles. An experimental investigation has bee n made with the time-resolved light scattering measurement of a polystyrene /poly(methyl methacrylate) blend during an annealing process. The model pre dictions are in good agreement with our experiment and other authors' work. The relative effects of system parameters such as volume fraction, interfa cial tension, and viscosity are also discussed. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.