Transport properties of thermoplastic/thermoset blends

Gas transport properties are reported for two series of films prepared from initially miscible thermoplastic/thermoset blends, respectively, polystyrene PS/thermoset and poly(2,6 dimethyl 1,4 phenylene oxide) PPE/thermoset blends. The thermoplastic contents are such that in both cases, after the phase separation, the continuous phase is the thermoplastic-rich phase and scanning electron microscopic photomicrographs clearly evidenced the dispersion of thermoset-rich nodules in the continuous thermoplastic-rich phase with a more tortuous morphology in the case of PPE based films. Permeability measurements were made for O2 and CO2 at 20°C and a reduction in permeability coefficients was observed with increased thermoset content. Analysis using Maxwell law suggests that for all thermoplastic/thermoset blends, the thermoset particles can be considered as impermeable to gas and that the diffusion takes place in the continuous phase. In the case of PPE based films, the higher decrease of permeability than that predicted by the law has been related to the morphology of the blends and thus the tortuosity and to a partial miscibility of the thermoset in the thermoplastic. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 473–483, 1999