Interfacial Tension Measurement Between Immiscible Polymers; Improved Deformed Drop Retraction Method

Published

May 1, 2002

Author(s)

Y Son, Kalman D. Migler

Abstract

This paper describes an improvement of the technique to measure interfacial tension in immiscible polymer blends. Our method is based on the droplet retraction method, in which one relates the kinetics of relaxation of a deformed droplet to the interfacial tension between the matrix and droplet. Previously, the problem with this technique has been the difficulty in preparing axisymmetric ellipsoidal droplets. In our work we demonstrate that perfect axisymmetric ellipsoidal droplets are produced at the late stage of relaxation of short imbedded fibers. With this technique we utilize the strengths of both the deformed droplet method and the imbedded fiber retraction method while overcoming the difficulties of these techniques. The Interfacial tension value thus obtained was compared to that by conventional methods. At the same time, the interfacial tension was investigated in the case that the drop is confined in a narrow gap of which size is comparable to the drop size. In the polymer pair used in this study, the wall affects interfacial tension when its size is less that 2 time of equilibrium drop size.

Citation

Polymer

Volume

43

Issue

No. 10

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

deformed drop retraction method, geometric effect, imbedded fiber retraction method, interfacial tension, polyamide-6, polystyrene

Citation

Son, Y. and Migler, K. (2002), Interfacial Tension Measurement Between Immiscible Polymers; Improved Deformed Drop Retraction Method, Polymer, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=851925 (Accessed June 30, 2024)