Role of Functional Polymers in the Compatibilization of Polymer Blends

Polymer mixing is one of the direct and practical strategies for creating new superior materials for commercial and industrial applications. The polymer blend can reinforce the setting of the properties according to the focused need. The compatibility of the immiscible polymer mixing system by incorporating a new material, helps in the development of high-performance materials. In general, graft, block or random copolymers have widespread applications as compatibilizers. Compatibilization is based on a specific chemical reaction between two functional polymer components during mixing, and is known as a reactive mixing. The introduction of reactive and functional polymers into an immiscible polymer blend with a strong interaction between the two polymer components of the mixtures can improve the adhesion between the components. Functional polymers have significant importance because of the high compatibilizing efficiency since the compatibilizer is created directly between the interfaces. In this chapter the interfacial reaction and morphology, the effect of reactive polymers on the polymer mixing process, the relationship between the flow field or process parameters, the compatibilizing efficiency of a reactive compatibilizer in different mixing techniques will be discussed. The concept of reactive compatibilizer, the characterization techniques used to monitor the compatibility of functional polymers, future perspectives and challenges in this field will also be discussed in this chapter.