The Ordered Bicontinuous Double Diamond Structure in Binary Blends of Diblock Copolymer and Homopolymer.

1989 ◽  
Vol 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen I. Winey ◽  
Edwin L. Thomas

ABSTRACTWe report the observation of the ordered bicontinuous double diamond (OBDD) structure in binary blends of poly(styrene-isoprene) diblock copolymer and homopolystyrene. The overall polystyrene volume fraction range is 64 - 67 PSvol% for the OBDD structure in binary blends of a lamellar diblock (SI 27/22) and a homopolymer (14.0 hPS). This composition range is approximately within the polystyrene volume fraction range established for pure diblock copolymers in the strong segregation regime having the OBDD structure. Ordered lamellae are observed at approximately 65 PSvol% when the homopolystyrene molecular weight is greater than the molecular weight of the polystyrene block of the copolymer. This observation is discussed in terms of the decreased degree of mixing between the homopolymer and the corresponding block and the resultant effect on the interfacial curvature.

1991 ◽  
Vol 248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen I. Winey

AbstractBinary blends of diblock copolymer (AB) and homopolymer (hA) self assemble upon solvent evaporation into a great variety of microphase separated morphologies. The ordered lamellar, bicontinuous double diamond, cylindrical and spherical morphologies were observed by TEM and SAXS in our studies, as well as a range of micellar morphologies.The mean curvature (H) and the area per copolymer junction (σj), which characterize the intermaterial dividing surface, increased with increasing homopolymer concentration in the blend and/or with decreasing homopolymer molecular weight. These trends were generally obeyed both between and within ordered morphology types. The increase in H and σj was related to an increased degree of mixing between the homopolymer and the block of the copolymer.Two types of isothermal morphology diagrams were constructed to consolidate the extensive morphological data and to illustrate the general morphological transitions in AB/hA blends. The constant molecular weight morphology diagrams illustrated the interdependence of the copolymer composition and the homopolymer concentration. The constant copolymer composition diagrams emphasized the importance of the relative homopolymer molecular weight and the overall blend composition.


Author(s):  
M. M. Disko ◽  
S. K. Behal ◽  
K. S. Liang ◽  
R. J. Roe ◽  
K. J. Jeon

Diblock copolymers form ordered interfacial surfaces that range from lamellae, to cylinders, to the ordered bicontinuous double diamond (OBDD) structure, and spheres on a cubic lattice as the size of one component is increased. Flexible control of these materials presents an opportunity for structural materials, adhesives and selective separations. Mixtures of diblock copolymers with homopolymers exhibit similar structures due to changes in the interfacial curvature that accompany "swelling" the like-component of the diblock with homopolymer. Ordering behavior in systems of this type depends on the elastic properties and molecular weights (MW's) of the polymers, annealing temperature and annealing time. We have examined the changes in morphology of a styrene-butadiene (SB) diblock copolymer mixed with homopolymer polystyrene (hS). Sample made by casting from toluene solution, annealing at 130°C for 2-10 days, staining B-rich regions with OsO4, and microtoming thin-sections at -90°C. The SB MW was 49 800 g/mol with an S-block MW of 25 500 g/mol, and 24 400 g/mol for the B-block. Two hS components were used, having MW's of 26 000 g/mol (h26) and 19 300 g/mol (h19). We refer to the samples by the hS molecular weight and total polystyrene volume fraction, e.g. h26/0.67.


1994 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-347
Author(s):  
Moira Marx Nir ◽  
Robert E. Cohen

Abstract Tensile failure properties of syndiotactic 1,2 polybutadiene/trans 1,4 polybutadiene crystalline blends are improved by addition of 5–10% amorphous 1,2 polybutadiene/1,4 polybutadiene diblock copolymer. The effect of block molecular weight and microphase behavior of the diblock copolymer was investigated. Heterogeneous diblocks enhance blend properties to a greater extent than homogeneous diblocks. In blends with enhanced properties, percent coverage of interfacial surface area by diblock is on the order of 10%.


Soft Matter ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1871-1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Y. Chu ◽  
X. Jiang ◽  
H. Jinnai ◽  
R. Y. Pei ◽  
W. F. Lin ◽  
...  

A thermally stable ordered bicontinuous double diamond (OBDD) structure in a stereoregular diblock copolymer has been revealed by electron tomography. The structure underwent a thermally reversible transition to double gyroid upon heating, accompanied by a reduction of domain spacing.


1996 ◽  
Vol 461 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kim ◽  
C. C. Han

ABSTRACTThe effect of diblock copolymer on the phase-separation process of polymer blends has been investigated by using light scattering and optical microscopic observations. To quench the system into the two phase region, a shear-jump technique is employed instead of the conventional temperature-jump technique. The samples studied are blends of low-molecular-weight polystyrene and polybutadiene with and without added styrene-butadiene block copolymer as a compatibilizer. It was observed that the addition of diblock copolymers could accelerate the phase separation kinetics depending on the shear history. As the concentration of diblock copolymer increases, the distribution of domain sizes becomes narrower and the growth rate slows down. The extent of slowing-down depends on the molecular weight and concentration of the copolymer. The time dependence of domain growth is clearly observed with optical microscopy.


Author(s):  
Richard J. Spontak ◽  
Steven D. Smith ◽  
Arman Ashraf

Microphase-separated diblock copolymers have been known since 1970 to exhibit three principal morphologies. These morphologies depend on the composition of the copolymer and include dispersed spheres of the minor component on either a BCC or FCC lattice, dispersed cylinders of the minor component on a hexagonal lattice, or alternating lamellae. Recent microstructural studies of starblock and diblock copolymers have shown that an ordered bicontinuous morphology is observed between the lamellar and cylindrical regimes. This microstructure is currently referred to as the ordered bicontinuous double-diamond (OBDD) morphology and is an example of the Pn3m space group. In poly(styrene-b-isoprene) (SI) diblock copolymers, it exists at approximately 62-66 vol% polystyrene (PS). Efforts aimed at producing this morphology by blending a copolymer with various PS homopolymers have also been successful, when the blend composition is 65-67 vol% PS and the molecular weight of the hompolymer (Mhps) is less than that of the styrene block in the copolymer (Ms). In this work, we have used transmission electron microscopy to elucidate some additional factors responsible for development of the OBDD and other bicontinuous morphologies.


2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (15) ◽  
pp. 5785-5792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafal A. Mickiewicz ◽  
Eleftherios Ntoukas ◽  
Apostolos Avgeropoulos ◽  
Edwin L. Thomas

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