Structural characterisation of some polystyrene—polyisoprene copolymers

The various levels of organisation which may be distinguished in non-crystalline block copolymers are considered. An account is given of the application of low-angle X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy to the characterisation of the two-phase morphology and grain texture of some styrene/isoprene copolymers. The first group of copolymers to be considered contains two series of samples of the type S–I, (S–I–)₂X, (S–I–)₃Y, and (S–I–)₄Z where I is polyisoprene, S polystyrene and X, Y and Z are di-, tri- and tetra-functional coupling groups. The second group of copolymers which was subjected to a less detailed study than the first consists of just two polystyrene-g-polyisoprene samples.