Structure and properties of microcomposites and macrocomposites from block polymers

The incorporation of a rubber phase in glassy polymers, as is well known in the case of high impact polystyrene, leads-to an increase in their impact strength. Block polymers offer three principal approaches for obtaining multiphase glassy polymers in which an elastorner phase is present in the matrix of the glassy polymer. They are: (1) control ofblock polymer composition, (2) blending of block polymer with homopolymers, and (3) polymerization of a solution.of a block polymer in the monomer corresponding to one of the blocks. The observed properties, such as impact strength, modulus, and heat distortion temperature, desired in rubber modified glassy polymers are discussed for block polymer systems prepared using the above approaches.