The melt miscibility of atactic poly(propylene) (a-PP) with isotactic (i-PP) and syndiotactic poly(propylene) (s-PP), respectively, is investigated by diffusion experiments of i-PP/a-PP/i-PP or s-PP/a-PP/s-PP sandwich specimens using polarized light microscopy. It is shown that the system a-PP/i-PP is miscible in the melt, whereas for the system a-PP/s-PP no evidence for melt mixing is found. Pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) measurements of the three poly(propylene)s are carried out in order to determine the characteristic parameters of the Flory-Orwoll-Vrij equation-of-state theory. Theoretical predictions using the solubility parameter concept are in agreement with the observed miscibility behavior of the blends. Differences in the cohesive energy densities of a-PP and i-PP on the one side, and s-PP on the other side, are found to be responsible for the phase behavior of the mixtures of poly(propylene)s with different stereoregularity.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Maier et al. (1997) studied this question.