Phase separation and crystallization behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(1,4-butylene adipate) blends under an electric field

The effect of electric field on phase separation behavior and crystallization kinetics in binary semicrystalline blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and poly(1,4-butylene adipate) (PBA) has been investigated by means of time-resolved small-angle light scattering (SALS) and polarizing optical microscopy. PVDF/PB A blends are miscible in a temperature range between the melting point of PVDF and the LCST in the absence of an electric field. On the other hand, the binodal curve fitted with the cloud points obtained experimentally from SALS measurement was shifted toward lower temperature in the presence of the electric field. Thus, the field-induced phase separation and the field removal-induced phase dissolution could be observed reversibly for the 9/1 and 7/3 blends. Effects of various pretreatment conditions (spinodal phase separation time, field-induced phase separation, field removal-induced phase dissolution, etc.) of the PVDF/PBA blends before isothermal crystallization on the crystallization kinetics were also investigated.