PHASE-SEPARATION DYNAMICS OF BLENDS OF TELECHELIC EPOXY TERMINATED POLYBUTADIENE AND MALTENE

Thermally induced phase separation in a mixture of telechelic epoxy terminated polybutadiene (ETPB) and maltene has been studied by means of time-resolved light scattering and optical microscopy. Maltene, consisting of various hydrocarbon derivatives, was extracted from asphalt with n-heptane and isolated by centrifugation. The cloud point studies of the ETPB/maltene mixture showed an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) which is thermally reversible. Several deep temperature quench experiments were conducted at an off-critical composition (27/73 ETPB/maltene) from a single phase (80 degrees C) to a two-phase region (27, 29, 31 and 33 degrees C). The time-evolution of the structure factor for the late stage of spinodal decomposition (SD) was analyzed in the framework of nonlinear and dynamical scaling laws. The reverse quench experiments were also undertaken to elucidate the phase dissolution process.