Poly(ethylene oxide) blends with poly(ethylene oxide) poly(dicyclohexyl itaconate) block copolymers

Blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and block copolymers poly(ethylene oxide)-bl ock-poly(dicyclohexyl itaconate)s (PEO-b-PDCHI) with different molecular ma sses were prepared by solution casting from chloroform. Thermal properties and kinetics of nonisothermal melting and crystallization were studied usin g differential scanning calorimetry. The lamella thickness (average size of the crystals), the transport energy through the phase boundary and the sur face free energy were determined and competed to those for pure PEG. Morpho logy of the blends was observed by optical microscopy. An attempt to explai n the influence of the block copolymers on the crystallization process was also made. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.