We demonstrate that miscibility affects the ionic conductivity of ternary polymer blends of lithium perchlorate (LiClO4), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and poly( -caprolactone) (PCL). Although individually these three binary blends are fully miscible, a closed immiscibility loop exists in the ternary blend phase diagram as a result of the complicated interactions among LiClO4, PEO, and PCL. The addition of PCL suppresses the crystallization of PEO and results in higher ionic conductivity. FTIR spectroscopy studies indicate that an excess PCL content causes immiscibility, which results in PCL being excluded from the ternary blends. Consequently, the maximum ionic conductivity (6.3 × 10 -7 S cm -1 ) at ambient temperature of ternary blends having a fixed LiClO4 content (25 wt %) is at a composition of 25/60/15
SYNOPSISMechanical properties of polycarbonates ( PCs ) and elastomer-modified polycarbonates with various molecular weights (MW) are investigated. Higher MW PCs show slightly lower density, yield stress, and modulus. The ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) of the notched impact strength decreases with the increase of PC MW and with the increase of elastomer content. The elastomer-modified PC has higher impact strength than does the unmodified counterpart if the failure is in the brittle mode, but has lower impact strength if the failure is in the ductile mode. The critical strain energy release rate (G,) measured at -30°C decreases with the decrease of PC MW. The extrapolated zero fracture energy was found at M , = 6800 or MFR = 135. The G, of the elastomer-modified PC (MFR = 15, 5% elastomer) is about twice that of the unmodified one. The presence of elastomer in the PC matrix promotes the plane-strain localized shear yielding to greater extents and thus increases the impact strength and G, in a typically brittle fracture. Two separate modes, localized and mass shear yielding, work simultaneously in the elastomer-toughening mechanism. The plane-strain localized shear yielding dominates the toughening mechanism at lower temperatures and brittle failure, while the plane-stress mass shear yielding dominates at higher temperatures and ductile failure. For the elastomer-modified PC ( 10% elastomer), the estimated extension ratio of the yielding zone of the fractured surface is 2 for the ductile failure and 5 for the brittle crack. A criterion for shifting from brittle to ductile failure based on precrack critical plastic-zone volume is proposed.
SYNOPSISFor ductile fracture, the precrack plastic zone has to exceed a critical value, and precrack hysteresis energy has been employed to characterize the plastic zone. The presence of elastomer in polycarbonate is able to enhance precrack hysteresis and, therefore, toughens the polycarbonate matrix. Higher precrack hysteresis means that a greater fraction of the input energy converts into plasticity and leaves less storage energy available to strain the crack tip for crack initiation. If the precrack plastic zone is above the critical value before onset of initiation, the crack growth developed thereafter will be effectively contained within the domain of the plastic zone and results in mass shear, yielding ductile fracture. In this paper, the elastomer toughening is classified as promotion of ductile failure through mass shear yielding and the localized energy dissipation processes. The localized energy dissipations are further divided into the activities occurring on and underneath the fracture surface. A different approach in interpreting the elastomer-toughening mechanism is discussed in detail.
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