Interactions and mechanical properties of rod–coil ionomer blend

Polymer–polymer blends of rigid-rod and random-coil macromolecules are obtained by ionomer blend formation. The molecular dispersion of the rod molecules in the matrix polymer is achieved by acid–base interactions. The reinforcement effect in terms of the Young's modulus is discussed as a function of the degree of polymerization of the rods. By treating the reinforcer molecule as a fuzzy cylinder the reinforcement effect can be correlated to the reinforcers' size and shape.