Study and comparison of interaction parameters and phase behavior of epoxy/polystyrene and epoxies copolymer polystyrene‐ b ‐poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

Abstract Thermodynamic studies in terms of phase separation behavior and interaction parameters, in mixtures of epoxy resins (thermoset materials) with thermoplastic additives, consisting of polystyrene (PS) or polystyrene‐ b ‐poly(methyl methacrylate) P(S‐MMA) (with small proportion of MMA), have been carried out. It can be confirmed that the solubility of P(S‐MMA) is an improvement on that of PS, with the prepolymer epoxy resins. Moreover, the interaction parameters are positive at temperatures in which phase separation is observed, but negative at temperatures in which the phase separation window disappears, in the corresponding phase diagram. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers