Polymer blends and alloys—a review of selected considerations

Abstract

Abstract A brief overview of the important issues governing the behavior of polymer blends is presented. Thermodynamic issues which determine the phase behavior of blends are reviewed and qualitatively related to physical interactions between blend components. The influence of melt processing conditions on the resulting properties and behavior of both miscible and immiscible blends is reviewed. The physical properties of blends are reviewed and illustrated by examples from recent work on miscible blends of polycarbonate with a copolyester and on the immiscible blends of polystyrene with high density polyethylene.