Miscibility and Crystallization Behavior of Novel Branched Poly(ethylene succinate)/Poly(vinyl phenol) Blends

The blends of novel branched poly(ethylene succinate) (b-PES) and poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh) were prepared via a solution and casting method. The miscibility, melting behavior, spherulitic morphology and growth, and crystal structure of b-PES/PVPh blends were investigated in detail. PVPh was miscible with b-PES over the whole compositions as evidenced by the single composition dependent glass transition temperature. Double melting behavior occurred in neat b-PES and b-PES/PVPh 85/15 blend after isothermal melt crystallization, which may be explained by the melting, recrystallization, and remelting mechanism. In addition, the depression of equilibrium melting point of an 85/15 blend was also found, confirming again the miscibility between the two components. The addition of PVPh caused the decrease of nucleation density and crystal growth rates of b-PES spherulites in the blend. The crystal structure of b-PES was unchanged before and after blending; moreover, the crystallinity of b-PES decreased slightly in the blend.