Processing of Polymers Using Supercritical Fluids

In this project we seek to use this variability of solvating power to dissolve high molecular weight polymers, provide solution processing capacity for polymers which are typically difficult to process, and produce blends of normally incompatible polymers from cosolvated mixtures. This last area, polymer blends, this one of great potential and interest because traditional polymer blends are often phase separate into large domains. For example, we expect that by molecularly blending a liquid crystallize polymer with long chain, fiber forming, crystalline polymers, we will reduce the macroscopic phase separation that now limits effective utilization of both the LCP reinforcement and the matrix polymer processibility. jg