SAXS MEASUREMENTS OF THE INTERFACE IN POLYACRYLATE AND EPOXY INTERPENETRATING NETWORKS WITH FRACTAL GEOMETRY

The interface thickness in two-component interpenetrating polymer netw orks (IPN) system based on polyacrylate and epoxy were determined usin g small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in terms of the theory proposed by Ruland. The thickness was found to be nonexistent for the samples a t various compositions and synthesized at variable conditions-temperat ure and initiator concentration. By viewing the system as a two-phase system with a sharp boundary, the roughness of the interface was descr ibed by fractal dimension, D, which slightly varies with composition a nd synthesis condition. Length scales in which surface fractals are pr oved to be correct exist for each sample and range from 0.02 to 0.4 An gstrom(-1). The interface in the present IPN system was treated as fra ctal, which reasonably explained the differences between Pored's law a nd experimental data, and gained an insight into the interaction betwe en different segments on the interface. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.