Modeling of polyethylene and poly (L-lactide) polymer blends and diblock copolymer: Chain length and volume fraction effects on structural arrangement

Phase diagrams of block copolymer melts by dissipative particle dynamics simulations

Phase diagrams for monodisperse and polydisperse diblock copolymer melts and a random multiblock copolymer melt are constructed using dissipative particle dynamics simulations. A thorough visual analysis and calculation of the static structure factor in several hundreds of points at each of the diagrams prove the ability of mesoscopic molecular dynamics to predict the phase behavior of polymer systems as effectively as the self-consistent field-theory and Monte Carlo simulations do. It is demonstrated that the order-disorder transition (ODT) curve for monodisperse diblocks can be precisely located by a spike in the dependence of the mean square pressure fluctuation on χN, where χ is the Flory-Huggins parameter and N is the chain length. For two other copolymer types, the continuous ODTs are observed. Large polydispersity of both blocks obeying the Flory distribution in length does not shift the ODT curve but considerably narrows the domains of the cylindrical and lamellar phases partially replacing them with the wormlike micelle and perforated lamellar phases, respectively. Instead of the pure 3d-bicontinuous phase in monodisperse diblocks, which could be identified as the gyroid, a coexistence of the 3d phase and cylindrical micelles is detected in polydisperse diblocks. The lamellar domain spacing D in monodisperse diblocks follows the strong-segregation theory prediction, D∕N(1∕2) ~ (χN)(1∕6), whereas in polydisperse diblocks it is almost independent of χN at χN < 100. Completely random multiblock copolymers cannot form ordered microstructures other than lamellas at any composition.

Morphological transition difference of linear and cyclic block copolymer with polymer blending in a selective solvent by combining dissipative particle dynamics and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations based on the ABEEM polarizable force field

AAMD based on ABEEM PFF were performed to obtain reliable DPD parameters for morphological transition.

Metastable region of phase diagram: optimum parameter range for processing ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene blends

Numerous studies suggest that two-phase morphology and thick interface are separately beneficial to the viscosity reduction and mechanical property maintainence of the matrix when normal molecular weight polymer (NMWP) is used for modification of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Nevertheless, it is very difficult to obtain a UHMWPE/NMWP blend which may demonstrate both two-phase morphology and thick interface. In this work, dissipative particle dynamics simulations and Flory-Huggins theory are applied in predicting the optimum NMWP and the corresponding conditions, wherein the melt flowability of UHMWPE can be improved while its mechanical properties can also be retained. As is indicated by dissipative particle dynamics simulations and phase diagram calculated from Flory-Huggins theory, too small Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ) and molecular chain length of NMWP (N(NMWP)) may lead to the formation of a homogeneous phase, whereas very large interfacial tension and thin interfaces might also appear when parameters N(NMWP) and χ are too large. When these parameters are located in the metastable region of the phase diagram, however, two-phase morphology occurs and interfaces of the blends are extremely thick. Therefore, metastable state is found to be advisable for both the viscosity reduction and mechanical property improvement of the UHMWPE/NMWP blends.

Modeling of polyethylene, poly(l-lactide), and CNT composites: a dissipative particle dynamics study

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), a mesoscopic simulation approach, is used to investigate the effect of volume fraction of polyethylene (PE) and poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) on the structural property of the immiscible PE/PLLA/carbon nanotube in a system. In this work, the interaction parameter in DPD simulation, related to the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter χ, is estimated by the calculation of mixing energy for each pair of components in molecular dynamics simulation. Volume fraction and mixing methods clearly affect the equilibrated structure. Even if the volume fraction is different, micro-structures are similar when the equilibrated structures are different. Unlike the blend system, where no relationship exists between the micro-structure and the equilibrated structure, in the di-block copolymer system, the micro-structure and equilibrated structure have specific relationships.