| Abstract: | Blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and chlorinated poly(ethylene) (CPE) form a high impact polymer multiphase system. Characterization of this system by electron microscope becomes possible by a new pretreatment procedure of the polymer blend. The investigation of the morphology by this method shows the initial separation of secondary PVC particles (50–200 μm) into primary PVC particles (0,1–1 μm) by the soft CPE-phase. Due to the stability of the primary PVC-particles an interpenetrating network of the two phases is formed dependent on temperature and shear conditions of the melt Above a specific temperature PVC primary particles melt and the interpenetrating network is transformed into a system of fine dispersed CPE-particles in a PVC matrix Similar results are obtained in the system PVC/poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) and PVC/poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butadiene-co-styrene). |
