Numerical Simulation of Co-Continuous Morphologies in PEO/PS Polymer Blends
Source abstract
Abstract
This paper investigates co-continuous structures in immiscible polymer blends through three-dimensional (3D) computational calculations based on a multiphase phase-field equation for fluid flow. The mathematical model describes phase separation with the Cahn–Hilliard (CH) equation and fluid motion with the incompressible Navier–Stokes (NS) equations. Both polymers are treated as Newtonian viscous fluids, and the model includes surface tension, viscosity, and volume fraction effects. A semi-implicit finite difference method (FDM) solves the CH equation, and a projection method maintains the incompressibility of the flow field. Multigrid techniques solve the nonlinear systems efficiently. In addition, a connectivity-based detection algorithm determines whether a phase forms a connected structure that reaches all boundaries of the numerical domain. The numerical results show that the morphology changes from a droplet–matrix structure to a co-continuous structure as the volume fraction increases. The interfacial area per unit volume reaches a local maximum near the transition between these two regimes.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Block Copolymer Self-Assembly · Solidification and crystal growth phenomena · Fluid Dynamics and Thin Films
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Mathematics, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
Department of Computer & Information Engineering, Daegu University, Gyeongsan-si 38453, Republic of Korea
Funding
National Research Foundation of Korea · Ministry of Education
References (41)
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