Compatibilization of polymer blends by the addition of graft copolymers

Abstract

Polymer blends are mixtures of two or more polymers that are very often immiscible components and they need to be compatibilized. The compatibilization must not only ensure improvement in microstructure uniformity, but also in material performance concerning mechanical and adhesive properties as well. Designing graft copolymers, it is possible to control morphological, adhesive, mechanical and thermal properties of polymer blends. This review on compatibilization of polymer blends by graft copolymers is prepared in three parts: (1) description of the effect of molecular architecture of the graft copolymer; (2) effect of relative length of side chains; and (3) compatibility induced structure/properties relationship.