Phase Evolution Theory for Polymer Blends with Extreme Chemical Dispersity: Parameterization of DDFT Simulations and Application to Poly(propylene) Impact Copolymers

Abstract

DDFT is applied to phase formation in homopolymer/copolymer blends in which the copolymer is extremely disperse with a uniform chemical composition distribution. Such systems develop a core/shell structure with a thick interface. This study is motivated by peculiarities in the phase evolution of industrial PP high-impact copolymers. It is demonstrated that it is possible to reach time and length scales of relevance for realistic industrial blend systems. A rational method for improving the numerical efficiency of the calculations is presented. The model can be applied to a variety of industrially relevant systems with similar ‘‘random chemistry’’ or extreme copolymer dispersity in coatings, crude oil recovery systems, food emulsions, and so forth.