Microstructure and crystal-amorphous interphases in melt-miscible semicrystalline polymer blends

Small-angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, dielectric spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis were used to study the microstructure of the semicrystalline polymers poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(;The solid state microstructure of miscible blends containing a semicrystalline and an amorphous polymer is shown to be critically dependent on two factors: the strength of interactions between the two polymers, and the mobility of the amorphous material at the crystallization temperature. The influence of interaction strength on the region of partial order at the crystal surface (the crystal-amorphous interphase) is demonstrated. The results are consistent with theoretical predictions that this region changes from pure crystallizable material to a mixture containing both the crystallizable and the amorphous components as ;In the blends which contain a high T...