Morphology Mapping of Nanoparticle-Filled Immiscible Polymer Blends in Flow: The Existence of a Critical Ratio between Nanoparticle Concentration and Droplet Concentration

The delicate flow-induced morphology of immiscible polypropylene/polystyrene blends in the presence of silica nanoparticles (NPs) is investigated in a multiparameter space. The morphology map constructed based on in situ morphology observation reveals that a critical ratio of NP concentration to droplet concentration, which strongly depends on the NP surface chemistries and the ratio of the NP concentration to the droplet concentration, exists. Below or above the critical ratio, the NPs display diverse effects on the morphology (promote or suppress droplet coalescence). These results can be interpreted by the competition between the bridging mechanism (acceleratory effect) and the enhanced viscoelasticity (inhibitory effect) exerted by the NPs.