Feedback between Chain Dynamics and Phase Separation in Polymer Blends

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24245045
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Hiroshi 京都大学, 化学研究所, 教授 (90167164)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MASUBUCHI Yuichi 京都大学, 化学研究所, 准教授 (40291281) ; MATSUMIYA Yumi 京都大学, 化学研究所, 助教 (00378853)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 高分子ブレンド / 絡み合い緩和 / 管膨張機構 / 局所緩和 / 絡み合い長

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In polymer blends, the phase separation kinetics is strongly coupled with the entanglement dynamics of component polymers therein. For basic understanding of this coupling, the entanglement relaxation in homogeneous systems was examined in detail. It turned out that the tube dilation process (relaxation process activated by motion of surrounding chains) is associated with two characteristic length, one being in the direction perpendicular to the chain backbone and determining the stress relaxation level, and the other being in the direction parallel to the backbone and governing the relaxation time. In addition, analysis of local dynamics revealed retardation of the local Rouse relaxation of the fast component due to topological constraint from the slow component. On the basis of these new features (not considered in conventional models), an attempt was made to describe the coupling between the phase separation kinetics and the entanglement dynamics in the blends.

Free Research Field

分子レオロジー, 高分子物理学