Theory of the interface between immiscible polymers. II

Abstract

A theory is developed to predict the interfacial properties between two immiscible polymers. A self-consistent-field approach is employed to describe the configurational statistics of polymer molecules in the interfacial region. The density profiles and surface tension are calculated, and compare well with experiments. The interfaces are found to be much broader than for ordinary liquids. Also discussed are the distribution of chain ends and block-copolymer joints in the interface, and the effects of adding moderate amounts of solvent.