Effects of Electric Fields on Polymer Blend Morphologies

摘要

Casting of poly(ethyleneoxide)/poly(styrene) blends (10:90) from toulene on glassslides having evaporated Al electrodes leads to unusual morphologies depending on the applied electric field. At low fields (ca. 3 kV/cm), pearl chaining and deformation of the minor phase (PEO) is observed. Casting in higher fields (10-12 kV/cm) affords PEO columns in a PS matrix. The columns are ca. 25 microns wide and several hundred microns long. Mechanisms for pearl chaining and column formation are discussed.