THE USE OF SECONDARY ION MASS-SPECTROMETRY TO INVESTIGATE COPOLYMER ENHANCED ADHESION BETWEEN IMMISCIBLE POLYMERS

The interfacial adhesion between immiscible polymers (homopolymers) is usually weak, but it can be strengthened with the addition of a diblock copolymer where one block is miscible with one homopolymer and the other block is miscible with the other homopolymer. A diblock copolymer consists of one polymer chain chemically linked at one end to another polymer chain. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) is used to measure the copolymer organization at the joining interface, to measure the extent of intermixing between the copolymer blocks and the adjoining homopolymers and to determine the location of the copolymer blocks after the joint is fractured. The SIMS results provide unique and valuable information on the function of the copolymer to enhance the adhesion between the immiscible homopolymers.