The Mechanism of Phase Separation of Polymers in Organic Media—Apolar and Polar Systems

Abstract

The phase separation properties of nine apolar and 15 polar systems, each comprising two polymers dissolved in one organic solvent, were examined in the light of recent developments in surface thermodynamics of polar components. A clear correlation existed between the sign of the total interfacial free energy of interaction of the system and the phase separation (or miscibility). Conversely, some of the phase separation results could be used to estimate the electron-donor surface tension parameters of methyl ethyl ketone and tetrahydrofuran.