Premium
Thermomechanical and Rheological Properties of High‐Molecular‐Weight Poly(ethylene oxide)/Novolac Blends
Author(s) -
Ratna Debdatta,
Abraham Thomas,
KargerKocsis József
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.200700487
Subject(s) - ethylene oxide , materials science , rheology , crystallization , amorphous solid , isothermal process , polymer chemistry , poly ethylene , oxide , morphology (biology) , chemical engineering , polymer , optical microscope , ethylene , composite material , copolymer , scanning electron microscope , chemistry , crystallography , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , catalysis , physics , genetics , biology , metallurgy , engineering
Blends of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and novolac‐type phenolic resin were investigated for potential use as a crystallizable switching component for shape‐memory polymer systems with adjustable switching temperature. High‐molecular‐weight PEO and novolac blends with low novolac content were studied. Dynamic and isothermal DSC studies indicated a significant decrease in the crystallization temperature as a result of incorporation of novolac. We investigated the spherulitic morphology using a cross‐polarized optical microscopy and found a decrease in size and regularity of the spherulites with increasing novolac content. The rheological and mechanical properties corroborated the existence of strong interactions through H‐bonding in the amorphous phase.