Miscibility, Phase Separation, and Mechanism of Phase Separation of Epoxy/Block-Copolymer Blends

SILVIA GOYANES; NOE MORALES; HERNÁN GARATE; NORMA D'ACCORSO

Handbook of Epoxy Blends

Springer

Año: 2016; p. 2 - 23

Incorporating block copolymers into epoxy systems has emerged as aversatile and effective methodology not only to enhance their mechanicalproperties, but also as an intriguing strategy to design advanced materialswith tailored properties. Knowledge of microphase separationmechanisms operating during the development of these materials isessential due to the straight relationship between block copolymercharacteristics, epoxy system formulation, and curing conditions withthe final nanodomain morphology. This chapter is focused on thethermodynamic and kinetic fundamentals describing microphaseseparation mechanisms by which the nanodomains are obtained.Moreover, key parameters affecting phase separation mechanisms andmorphologies are discussed, explaining how different material propertiescan be tuned by controlling the nanostructure morphology.