Effect of pre-made compatibilizer and reactive polymers on polymer drop breakup

Abstract

The deformation and breakup of a single polymer drop with and without compatibilizer (pre-made or in-situ) inside a polymer matrix at high temperatures under simple shear was visualized in a specially designed transparent Couette mixer. The uncompatibilized polymer systems studied were polyethylene matrix/polystyrene drop (PE/PS) and polyethylene matrix/polystyrene oxazoline drop (PE/PSOX). The compatibilized systems were PE/PS with polyethylene-block-polystyrene copolymer (P(E-b-S)) and PSOX with polyethylene maleic anhydride (PEMA). Two main kinds of breakup are observed: (a) with or without compatibilizer, the drop elongates in the vorticity direction and then breaks up in the same direction, and (b) in the presence of compatibilizer, a thin cylinder stretches and ruptures from the elongated mother drop in the vorticity direction.