n‐Butyl acrylate based latex interpenetrating polymer networks used as processing modifiers and impact modifiers of poly(vinyl chloride)

A latex interpenetrating polymer network (LIPN), consisting of poly(n‐butyl acrylate), poly(n‐butyl acrylate‐co‐ethylhexyl acrylate), and poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐ethyl acrylate) and labeled PBEM, with 1,4‐butanediol diacrylate as a crosslinking agent was synthesized by three‐stage emulsion polymerization. The initial poly(n‐butyl acrylate) latex was agglomerated by a polymer latex containing an acrylic acid residue and then was encapsulated by poly(n‐butyl acrylate‐co‐ethylhexyl acrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐ethyl acrylate). A polyblend of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and PBEM was prepared through the blending of PVC and PBEM. The morphology and properties of the polyblend were studied. The experimental results showed that the processability and impact resistance of PVC could be enhanced considerably by the blending of 6–10 phr PBEM. This three‐stage LIPN PBEM is a promising modifier for manufacturing rigid PVC. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1168–1173, 2004     

Effect of the octadecyl acrylate concentration on the phase behavior of poly(octadecyl acrylate)/supercritical CO2 and C2H4 at high pressures

Pressure–composition isotherms were measured for the CO₂/octadecyl acrylate system at 45.0, 80.0, and 100.0°C and at pressures up to 307 bar. This system exhibited type I phase behavior with a continuous mixture‐critical curve. The solubility of octadecyl acrylate for the CO₂/octadecyl acrylate system increased as the temperature increased at a constant pressure. The experimental results for the CO₂/octadecyl acrylate system were modeled with the Peng–Robinson equation of state. A good fit of the data was obtained with the Peng–Robinson equation of state with one adjustable parameter for the CO₂/octadecyl acrylate system. Experimental cloud‐point data for the poly(octadecyl acrylate)/CO₂/octadecyl acrylate system were measured from 36 to 193°C and at pressures up to 2100 bar, and the added octadecyl acrylate concentrations were 11.9, 25.9, 28.0, 35.0, and 40.0 wt %. Poly(octadecyl acrylate) dissolved in pure CO₂ up to 250°C and 2100 bar. Also, adding 45.0 wt % octadecyl acrylate to the poly(octadecyl acrylate)/CO₂ solution significantly changed the phase behavior. This system changed the pressure–temperature slope of the phase‐behavior curves from an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) region to a lower critical solution temperature region as the octadecyl acrylate concentration increased. Cloud‐point data to 150°C and 750 bar were examined for poly(octadecyl acrylate)/C₂H₄/octadecyl acrylate mixtures at octadecyl acrylate concentrations of 0.0, 15.0, and 45.0 wt %. The cloud‐point curve of the poly(octadecyl acrylate)/C₂H₄ system was relatively flat at 730 bar between 41 and 150°C. The cloud‐point curves of 15.0 and 45.0 wt % octadecyl acrylate exhibited positive slopes extending to 35°C and approximately 180 bar. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 372–380, 2002     

Morphology and thermal and mechanical properties of phosphonium vermiculite filled poly(ethylene terephthalate) composites

A series of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/phosphonium vermiculite (P‐VMT) composites were prepared by a melt‐blending method, and we investigated the morphology and thermal and mechanical properties of the composites. We prepared P‐VMT with quaternary phosphonium salts using the common method followed by a cation‐exchange reaction. X‐ray diffraction showed that the phosphonium surfactants were partially intercalated into the vermiculite layers, The d‐spacing of the PET–clay sample was somewhat less than that of the P‐VMT because some degradation of the surfactant took place during melt processing. Compared with PET, the PET–clay composites had a lower decomposition temperature and showed a 17.4% increase in the tensile strength with a P‐VMT content of 3 wt %. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that P‐VMT had a homogeneous dispersion and good compatibility in the polymer matrix with a low content of additive and indicated that the P‐VMT content of 3 wt % was optimal. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Effect of vinyl acetate content on the mechanical and thermal properties of ethylene vinyl acetate/MgAl layered double hydroxide nanocomposites

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/Mg‐Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposites using EVA of different vinyl acetate contents (EVA‐18 and EVA‐45) have been prepared by solution blending method. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic studies of nanocomposites clearly indicate the formation of exfoliated/intercalated structure for EVA‐18 and completely delaminated structure for EVA‐45. Though EVA‐18 nanocomposites do not show significant improvement in mechanical properties, EVA‐45 nanocomposites with 5 wt % DS‐LDH content results in tensile strength and elongation at break to be 25% and 7.5% higher compared to neat EVA‐45. The data from thermogravimetric analysis show that the nanocomposites of EVA‐18 and EVA‐45 have ≈10°C higher thermal decomposition temperature compared to neat EVA. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Crystallization behavior of fully biodegradable poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) blends

Both poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) are fully biodegradable polyesters. The disadvantages of poor mechanical properties of PLA limit its wide application. Fully biodegradable polymer blends were prepared by blending PLA with PBAT. Crystallization behavior of neat and blended PLA was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). Experiment results indicated that in comparison with neat PLA, the degree of crystallinity of PLA in various blends all markedly was increased, and the crystallization mechanism almost did not change. The equilibrium melting point of PLA initially decreased with the increase of PBAT content and then increased when PBAT content in the blends was 60 wt % compared to neat PLA. In the case of the isothermal crystallization of neat PLA and its blends at the temperature range of 123–142°C, neat PLA and its blends exhibited bell shape curves for the growth rates, and the maximum crystallization rate of neat PLA and its blends all depended on crystallization temperature and their component. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Polyimide/substituted polyaniline–copolymer–nanoclay composite thin films with high damping abilities

Polyimide (PI)/poly(N‐ethyl aniline‐co‐aniline‐2‐sulfonic acid)–clay (SPNEAC) nanocomposite films containing water‐soluble SPNEAC were successfully synthesized. Atomic force microscopy studies showed a homogeneous distribution of coated clay particles in the PI matrix. The particle sizes varied between about 50 nm and about 220 nm in height and 6–7 μm in length in the nanocomposite containing 5 wt % SPNEAC. Average surface roughnesses of 0.253 and 34.9 nm were obtained for neat PI and the 5 wt % SPNEAC–PI nanocomposite, respectively. Dynamic mechanical spectrometry was used to study the viscoelastic transitions and their temperatures. The dynamic mechanical spectrometry results show a decreasing glass‐transition temperature of the nanocomposites with increasing SPNEAC weight fraction. The area under the α‐transition peak, which is associated with damping and impact energy, increased with increasing SPNEAC weight fraction. The impact energy of the nanocomposites was estimated with a viscoelastic model. It increased with increasing SPNEAC weight fraction, and a maximum value of 84.9 mJ was obtained. The viscoelastic model was based on the area under the α‐transition peak, rubbery plateau modulus, and sample volume. A 5 wt % addition of SPNEAC improved the impact energy of neat PI films by 300%. Scanning electron micrographs of the nanocomposite films showed a less compact cross‐sectional morphology. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Morphologies and dynamic mechanical properties of core‐shell emulsifier‐free latexes and their copolymers for P(BA/MMA)/P(MMA/BA) and P(BA/MMA)/PSt systems in the presence of AHPS

Different poly(methyl methacrylate/n‐butyl acrylate)/poly(n‐butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate) [P(BA/MMA)/P(MMA/BA)] and poly(n‐butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate)/polystyrene [P(BA/MMA)/PSt] core‐shell structured latexes were prepared by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization in the presence of hydrophilic monomer 3‐allyloxy‐2‐hydroxyl‐propanesulfonic salt (AHPS). The particle morphologies of the final latexes and dynamic mechanical properties of the copolymers from final latexes were investigated in detail. With the addition of AHPS, a latex of stable and high‐solid content (60 wt %) was prepared. The diameters of the latex particles are ～0.26 μm for the P(BA/MMA)/P(MMA/BA) system and 0.22–0.24 μm for the P(BA/MMA)/PSt system. All copolymers from the final latexes are two‐phase structure polymers, shown as two glass transition temperatures (T_gs) on dynamic mechanical analysis spectra. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3078–3084, 2002     

Preparation and electrorheological characterization of suspensions of poly(urethane acrylate)/clay nanocomposite particles

Micron‐sized poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA)/clay nanocomposite particles were synthesized by suspension polymerization. UA containing a poly(ethylene oxide) group in the main chain was first inserted into the silicate layers of montmorillonite clay through mixing the UA with the clay. Then, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and an oil‐soluble initiator were added into this UA/clay mixture, followed by the emulsification of the monomer mixture in an aqueous solution of polymeric stabilizer. Suspension polymerization was carried out at 60°C for 12 h to obtain the PUA/clay composite particles. The incorporation of clay into the polymer phase was verified by FTIR spectroscopy, and the intercalation structure of the clay composite was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analysis. Other characterizations including thermal analysis, morphological observation, and dielectric analysis were also performed. After suspensions of bare PUA and PUA/clay nanocomposite particles in silicone oil were prepared, their electrorheological properties were measured under various electric fields and compared. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 458–464, 2003     

Mechanistic studies in tackified acrylic emulsion pressure sensitive adhesives

Twenty‐three wt % aqueous tackifier dispersion based on glycerol ester abietic acid (T_g = 64°C, M_w = 940) was added to emulsion polymer 50/32/15/3 poly(2‐ethyl hexyl acrylate‐co‐vinyl acetate‐co‐dioctyl maleate‐co‐acrylic acid) pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). From these latices, 25 μm thick films were cast. The films were dried at 25°C for 24 h or at 121°C for 5 min. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of the films included measuring elastic modulus (G′) and damping factor (tan δ). Under the above drying conditions, the films did not produce significant differences in their DMA and PSA properties as measured by loop tack, peel, and shear holding power. DMA of the tackified acrylic film showed thermodynamic miscibility between the tackifier and polymer regardless of the drying conditions. Microgels formed during emulsion polymerization of the acrylic PSA brought inherent weakness to the tackified film properties. In the neat acrylic PSA film, these discrete networks entangled with the uncrosslinked chains while in the tackified film, these networks could not form entanglements due to the increased molecular weight between entanglements for the uncrosslinked chains. This lack of network entanglements caused shear holding power of the tackified acrylic PSA film to be 4× lower than that of the neat acrylic PSA film. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 76: 1965–1976, 2000     

ESOA modified unsaturated polyester hybrid networks: A new perspective

Hybrid polymer networks based on unsaturated polyester (UPE) and epoxidized soybean oil acrylate (ESOA) were synthesized by reactive blending through free radical addition polymerization reaction. ESOA was prepared by acrylation of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). The physical, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of the cured blends were compared with the neat resin. ESOA resin bearing reactive functional groups showed good miscibility and compatibility with the UPE resin. The co‐cured resin showed substantial upgrading in the toughness, impact resistance, thermal properties, and downgrading brittleness up to the addition of 20 wt % of ESOA content. The muddled phase structure was corroborated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscopy and proved the formation of excellent hybrid polymer network. An improvement in overall properties has been achieved without seriously affecting any other properties. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44345.     

Preparation and characterization of polyaniline N‐grafted with poly(ethyl acrylate) synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization

Polyaniline (PANI) N‐grafted with poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) was synthesized by the grafting of bromo‐terminated poly (ethyl acrylate) (PEA‐Br) onto the leucoemeraldine form of PANI. PEA‐Br was synthesized by the atom transfer radical polymerization of ethyl acrylate in the presence of methyl‐2‐bromopropionate and copper(I) chloride/bipyridine as the initiator and catalyst systems, respectively. The leucoemeraldine form of PANI was deprotonated by butyl lithium and then reacted with PEA‐Br to prepare PEA‐g‐PANI graft copolymers containing different amounts of PEA via an N‐grafting reaction. The graft copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Solubility testing showed that the solubility of PANI in chloroform was increased by the grafting of PEA onto PANI. The morphology of the PEA‐g‐PANI graft copolymer films was observed by scanning electron microscopy to be homogeneous. The electrical conductivity of the graft copolymers was measured by the four‐probe method. The results show that the conductivity of the PANI decreased significantly with increasing grafting density of PEA onto the PANI backbone up to 7 wt % and then remained almost constant with further increases in the grafting percentage of PEA. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Synthesis of Bis(1H, 1H, 2H, 2H‐perfluoro‐octyl)methylenesuccinate copolymers and their application on cotton fabrics

Bis(1H, 1H, 2H, 2H‐perfluoro‐octyl)methylenesuccinate (FOM)/ethyl acrylate (EA)/methyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymer (FOME) latexes, FOM/butyl acrylate (BA)/MMA copolymer (FOMB) latexes, and FOM/octyl acrylate (OA)/MMA copolymer (FOMO) latexes were synthesized by continuous emulsion polymerization. Solution polymerization was also carried out to prepare FOMB. The influences of fluorine content and curing conditions on the surface properties of polymer films were discussed. The water and oil repellency of cotton fabrics treated with the FOM copolymers was better than that of conventional poly(fluoroalkyl acrylate)s containing the same fluorinated chain. The polymer films or the treated fabrics were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, x‐ray photoelectron spectrometry, and wide angle x‐ray diffraction. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci, 2013     

Preparation and characterization of proton‐conducting crosslinked diblock copolymer membranes

The synthesis and properties of crosslinked diblock copolymers for use as proton‐conducting membranes are presented. A polystyrene‐b‐poly(hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer at 56 : 44 wt % was sequentially synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization. The poly(hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) block was thermally crosslinked by sulfosuccinic acid (SA) via the esterification reaction between  OH of PHEMA and  COOH of SA. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transfer infrared spectra revealed the successful synthesis of the diblock copolymer and the crosslinking reaction under the thermal condition of 120°C for 1 h. The ion‐exchange capacity continuously increased from 0.25 to 0.98 mequiv/g with increasing SA concentration because of the increasing number of charged groups in the membrane. However, the water uptake increased up to an SA concentration of 7.6 wt %, above which it decreased monotonically (maximum water uptake ∼ 27.6%). The membrane also exhibited a maximum proton conductivity of 0.045 S/cm at an SA concentration of 15.2 wt %. The maximum behavior of the water uptake and proton conductivity with respect to the SA concentration was considered to be due to a competitive effect between the increase of ionic sites and the crosslinking reaction according to the SA concentration. All the membranes were thermally quite stable at least up to 250°C, presumably because of the block‐copolymer‐based, crosslinked structure of the membranes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Surface characteristics of water‐soluble cationic fluoro copolymers containing perfluoroalkyl,quaternized amino,and hydroxyl groups

Various water‐soluble cationic fluoro copolymers in quaternized form with perfluoroalkyl, amino, and hydroxyl groups were prepared by varying the contents of perfluoroalkyl ethyl acrylate (FA), 2‐(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DAMA), and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The solvent polymerization was carried out in acetone, with the subsequent addition of acetic acid to form a quaternized polymer. Polyurethanes films were prepared by curing aqueous solutions containing water‐soluble cationic fluoro copolymers and a blocked isocyanate at 190°C. The surface characteristics of the water‐soluble cationic fluoro copolymers and the polyurethanes were investigated on the basis of FA and DAMA contents. The contact angles for both water and methylene iodide (MI) on the cationic fluoro copolymer and the polyurethane increase steadily as FA content increases, and decrease gradually with increasing DAMA content. The contact angles on the polyurethane are slightly higher than those on the cationic fluoro copolymer. The cationic fluoro copolymer and the polyurethane with FA content of 40 wt % and DAMA content of <30 wt % show extremely low surface free energies of 13–15 dynes/cm. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3702–3707, 2002     

Influence of the Hydrophobic–Hydrophilic Nature of Biomedical Polymers and Nanocomposites on In Vitro Biological Development

In this work, cell viability, proliferation, and morphology are studied on two pairs of polymers used in the biomedical field that have similar chemical natures but differ in hydrophobicity. On the one hand, hydrophobic polyester poly(ε‐caprolactone), is modified by blending with poly(lactic acid). On the other hand, the hydrophilic acrylate poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), is copolymerized with ethyl methacrylate (EMA) at a ratio of 50/50 wt.% P(HEMA‐co‐EMA). These two polymers are used as neat resins or combined with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) to enhance cell attachment and mechanical properties. Cell proliferation is greater on moderately hydrophobic materials at the initial stage, with cells showing a round shape and aggregating in clusters. However, over longer culture periods, cell proliferation is more advanced on more hydrophilic surfaces, where cells spread out with a flatter shape. Improvement of cell viability is observed with the addition of HA and HNTs.     

Influence of granulometry and organic treatment of a Brazilian montmorillonite on the properties of poly(styrene‐co‐n‐butyl acrylate)/layered silicate nanocomposites prepared by miniemulsion polymerization

The influence of granulometry and organic treatment of a Brazilian montmorillonite (MMT) clay on the synthesis and properties of poly(styrene‐co‐n‐butyl acrylate)/layered silicate nanocomposites was studied. Hybrid latexes of poly(styrene‐co‐butyl acrylate)/MMT were synthesized via miniemulsion polymerization using either sodium or organically modified MMT. Five clay granulometries ranging from clay particles smaller than 75 μm to colloidal size were selected. The size of the clay particles was evaluated by specific surface area measurements (BET). Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride was used as an organic modifier to enhance the clay compatibility with the monomer phase before polymerization and to improve the clay distribution and dispersion within the polymeric matrix after polymerization. The sodium and organically modified natural clays as well as the composites were characterized by X‐ray diffraction analysis. The latexes were characterized by dynamic light scattering. The mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties of the composites obtained were characterized by dynamical‐mechanical analysis, thermogravimetry, and small amplitude oscillatory shear tests, respectively. The results showed that smaller the size of the organically modified MMT, the higher the degree of exfoliation of nanoplatelets. Hybrid latexes in presence of Na‐MMT resulted in materials with intercalated structures. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Studies on damping properties of P(MMA‐AN)/P(EA‐nBA) LIPNs

Using a two‐stage emulsion polymerization method, a series of poly(methyl methacrylate‐acrylonitrile)/poly(ethyl acrylate‐n‐butyl acrylate) [P(MMA‐AN)/P(EA‐nBA)] latex interpenetrating polymer networks (LIPNs) were synthesized by varying AN content, ratio of network I/network II, crosslinker content, and introducing chain transfer agent. The damping properties of the LIPNs were investigated using a Rheovibron Viscoelastometer. The results indicates that a suitable content of AN can improve the damping properties of the LIPNs. Three kinds of fillers were incorporated into the LPINs, respectively, to measure the change in the damping properties. Mica and TiO₂ both increased the damping properties of the LIPNs over the wide temperature range. For TiO₂‐filled LIPNs, it was observed that the tan δ values exceeded 0.4 over 112.6°C temperature range from −50 to 72.6°C. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 76: 722–727, 2000     

Enhanced dyeability of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposite filaments

This study deals with the generation of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposite filaments by the melt‐spinning method and with the investigation of their morphological and dyeing properties. Different montmorillonite types of clay (Resadiye and Rockwood) were modified using different intercalating agents, and poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanocomposite filaments containing 0.5 and 1 wt% organoclays were prepared. Afterwards, the filaments were dyed with two disperse dyes (Setapers Red P2G and Setapers Blue TFBL‐NEW) at different temperatures (100, 110, and 120 °C) in the absence/presence of a carrier. Organoclays and poly(ethylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposites showed an increased d‐spacing between clay layers. Irrespective of clay and surfactant type, poly(ethylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposite filaments dyed at 120 °C in the presence of only a very small amount of carrier showed appreciable dyeability in comparison with neat poly(ethylene terephthalate). The dyeability of the organoclay‐containing poly(ethylene terephthalate) samples was found to be better in spite of having increased degrees of crystallinity. Moreover, the colour fastness properties of the clay‐containing samples were not affected adversely.     

Synthesis of acrylate polymers by a novel emulsion polymerization for adhesive applications

Pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are viscoelastic–elastomeric materials that can adhere strongly to solid surfaces with light contact pressure and a short contact time. Polyacrylates produced by solution polymerization are used widely because of their good adhesive properties. A novel emulsion polymerization was established to improve the low physical properties of PSA on the basis of conventional poly(n‐butyl acrylate) (PBA) by emulsion polymerization. PBA latex was synthesized by the emulsion polymerization of 50 wt % n‐butyl acrylate mixed with 15 wt % ethyl acetate (EA) with Emal‐10P and Emulgen‐920 as anionic and nonionic surfactants, respectively, at 70°C. Potassium persulfate (KPS) or a combination of KPS and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was used as the initiator. The KPS/DCP system gave a very high‐molecular‐weight PBA of a narrow molecular weight distribution with a weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight value of 1.01–1.03 in 15 min. The PSA tape was prepared by the casting of the PSA latex onto a corona poly(ethylene terephthalate) film as an adherent to obtain a 50‐μm‐dry‐thickness film. The PSA tape produced from PBA by the novel emulsion polymerization showed better adhesive properties, such as 180° peel adhesion, shear holding power, and rolling ball tack tests according to JIS and ASTM standards, than PSA tape produced from solution polymerization. The occlusion of a small amount of EA in emulsion particles before polymerization was found to give higher properties than those of PBA prepared by the addition of EA to the PBA latex after polymerization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100:413–421, 2006     

Flow behavior in a corotating twin‐screw extruder of pure polymers and blends: Characterization by fluorescence monitoring technique

The objective of this work was to investigate the flow behavior of pure polymers and blends, especially miscible polymer/polymer systems, in a corotating twin‐screw extruder (TSE) using an online fluorescence monitoring device. An immiscible blend was also studied for the sake of comparison. The fluorescence signal was obtained by using synthesized fluorescence tracers added to the melt at very low concentrations. These tracers consisted of two styrene‐maleic anhydride copolymers (SMA) labeled with anthracene. The investigated blends were SMA8 (8 wt % of MA in SMA)/polystyrene (PS), SMA14 (14 wt % of MA in SMA)/styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/ethyl acrylate‐methyl methacrylate copolymer (PMMAEA). The residence time distribution (RTD), the mean residence time (t ), the dimensionless variance (σ_θ²), the Peclet number (Pe) and the fluorescence peak intensity distribution of pure polymers and binary polymer systems were investigated and interpreted in terms of polymers rheological properties. It was observed that polymers presenting higher viscosity or higher pressure showed longer residence time. A difference in behavior was also observed for the RTD of miscible and immiscible blends. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011