Numerical Investigation of the Phase Evolution in Polymer Blends under External Mechanical Loadings

Abstract

The influences on the development of polymer blend microstructures are not yet fully understood in the manufacturing processes. The purpose of this paper is to give a closer look at the effect of the elastic energy on the decomposition process. The decomposition process of a melt consisting of two polymers with different shear moduli is investigated. Due to the resulting heterogeneous material behavior and deformations, the generated energy field is heterogeneous as well. This energy causes changes in the local stability of the mixture, which yields phases consisting of both the polymers. Additionally, possible large deformations result in dominating diffusion directions.