Impact of Nanoparticles on the Microstructure and Properties of Immiscible Polymer Blends: Preliminary Investigations

The control of the morphology represents one of the most important aspects in designing polymer blends. A particular arrangement of the phases known as co-continuity can be promoted within a narrow range of compositions and using appropriate expedients during the mixing process. The distinguishing feature of co-continuous morphologies is the mutual interpenetration of the phases, which is often desirable as it may result in a remarkable combination of functional and structural properties of the blend constituents. Besides acting on the composition and processing conditions, adding nanoparticles in polymer systems with an existing phase-separated morphology such as polymer blends represents an innovative way to promote co-continuity in blends with low amounts of either phase. In the present work we focus on this topic, investigating the ability of nanoparticles to affect the morphology and properties of different kinds of immiscible polymer blends. In addition, the implications of the microstructural changes promoted by the filler on the high-temperature mechanical behavior of the blends are discussed.