Polymer-polymer interaction, in the presence of a solvent as measured by viscometry

Dilute solution viscometry experiments have been carried out in five ternary polymer systems solvent(1)/polymer(2)/polymer(3). Values of the specific viscosity of polymer (3) in a 'binary solvent' formed by polymer(2)+solvent(1) have been used to determine the compatibility of the polymer blends. Krigbaum and Wall formalism has been used to predict compatibility which relies on an interaction parameter b(23)((1)) that depends on the concentration, weight fraction and molar mass of each polymer. To reduce the dependences and to clarify the criterion of compatibility, a parameter b(23)((2)) independent of polymer (3) composition and molar mass has been deduced. This parameter shows the same behaviour with polymer(2) concentration as the Stockmayer-Fixman parameter B. (C) 2001 Society of Chemical Industry.