| Self Consistent Field Theory (SCFT) is a well established theory for describing the thermodynamics of block copolymer melts and blends. Although the theory is approximate, it has been quite successful in describing the phase behavior of diblock copolymers.; We have applied SCFT to study the linear elastic behavior and the phase behavior of block copolymer melts. First, we calculate the linear elastic response of block copolymer melts ordered on a cubic lattice, with either body-centered or gyroid symmetry. We compare our results to experiments. A large, low-frequency plateau in the elastic storage modulus, corresponding to approximately 0.2kT per polymer chain, has been experimentally observed. By calculating the free energy of block copolymer melts on deformed lattices, we find that SOFT correctly predicts the elastic behavior of these three-dimensionally-ordered structures.; We also investigate the phase behavior of triblock copolymer melts. Recent experimental work has identified a new, non-cubic, three-dimensional network phase, termed the O70 phase, in ABC triblock copolymers. We investigate the phase behavior of ABC triblock copolymer melts by calculating the free energy of several candidate phases, including the O70 phase. We find that O 70 is an equilibrium structure in triblock copolymer melts and that the SCFT and experimentally observed phase boundaries agree qualitatively. We also find that O70 is an equilibrium phase in diblock copolymer melts. |
