Morphology and micromechanical behavior of binary blends comprising block copolymers having different architectures

Morphology and deformation behavior of binary blends comprising styrene/butadiene block copolymers (polystyrene content, Phi(PS) similar to 0.70) having different molecular architectures were studied by means of transmission electron microscopy and tensile testing. In contrast to the binary diblock copolymer blends discussed in literature, the phase separation behavior of the blends investigated was found to be strongly affected by asymmetric molecular architecture. The blends showed macrophase separated grains, in which the structures resembled the microphase morphology of none of the blend components. Unlike the classical rubber-modified or particle-filled thermoplastics, neither debonding at the particle/matrix interface nor the particle cavitation was observed in these nanostructured blends. The microdeformation of the blends revealed plastic drawing of polystyrene lamellae or PS struts dispersed in rubbery matrix and orientation of the whole deformation structures along the strain direction. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.