Enthalpy of mixing of poly(2,6-dimethyl phenylene oxide) and polystyrene

Abstract
Various compatibility criteria for polymer‐polymer blends are considered and their shortcomings discussed. An unambiguous thermodynamic criteria of compatibility, the enthalpy of mixing ΔHm, is obtained by application of Hess’s law to heat‐of‐solution data for blends and their components. The enthalpy of mixing for PPO/PS blends is determined by utilizing the Hess’s‐law approach. Consideration is given to the excess glass enthalpy contribution to ΔHm. Consistent with the known compatibility of PPO/PS blends, a small negative ΔHm is found for all blend compositions.