Phase equilibria of polystyrene solutions

Abstract

The cloud‐point curves for polystyrene (PS) solutions in ethylbenzene, decalin, and cyclohexane have been studied. Investigations of the spinodal for these systems were carried out using the light scattering method proposed by Chu and Scholte. The existence of the upper critical solution temperature polystyrene–for the system ethylbenzene has been demonstrated. For the sample of PS with a narrow molecular mass distribution the cloud‐point curves are binodal. The tops of binodals and spinodals coincide. From the temperature and angle dependences of light scattering the radius of gyration were calculated using the theory of Debye and of Vrij and Esker.