Thermodynamic compatibility of sepiolite-filled poly(vinylidene fluoride)-polystyrene blends

Summary Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to investigate the effect produced by sepiolite on the thermodynamical compatibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-polystyrene blends. Polymer-polymer interaction parameters were calculated from the retention data, for various polar and non-polar probes in pure and mixed stationary phases of these polymers, using sepiolite as solid support, as well as from melting point depression analysis of the sepiolite filled blends. Both techniques give us positive values of the interaction parameters, in accordance with the non-compatibility of these blends; However negative values of the interaction parameters were obtained for polystyrene-rich blends (_PS 85 wt%) and high sepiolite loadings, indicating that sepiolite acts as a compatibilizing agent for the system PVF₂/PS.