We examine ternary blends composed of two immiscible polymers, polyisobutylene (PIB) and polyethylene oxide (PEO), and fumed silica particles which have strong affinity for the PEO. Samples with up to 10 vol% fumed silica and a wide range of PIB:PEO ratios were melt-blended and their morphology characterized. The unusual structure of fumed silica – which comprises 5–50 nm primary particles permanently bonded together into highly porous, fractal-like aggregates – strongly influences the morphology at all compositions. At relatively low PEO loadings, the PEO is absorbed into the pores within the fumed silica aggregates. The morphology consists of a network of interlocked particle aggregates bonded together by PEO. At higher PEO loadings, the PEO and the particles form a combined phase that is solid-like even at low fumed silica loadings. The morphology somewhat resembles a conventional co-continuous morphology where one phase is PIB and the other is a fumed silica-filled PEO. However, the microstructure is very irregular and the interface between the PIB and the PEO phase appears extremely rough on the scale of the primary particles. Morphologies with two percolating phases appear across almost the entire composition range examined. Compared to spherical fused silica particles examined previously, fumed silica affects the morphology of polymer blends at far lower particle loadings, and greatly widens the range of co-continuity.

我们研究了由两种不混溶的聚合物（聚异丁烯（PIB）和聚环氧乙烷（PEO））以及对PEO具有强亲和力的气相二氧化硅颗粒组成的三元共混物。将具有最高10 vol％气相法二氧化硅和各种PIB：PEO比的样品进行熔融共混，并对其形态进行表征。气相法二氧化硅的不寻常结构-包含5-50 nm的初级粒子，永久结合在一起，形成高度多孔的，类似分形的聚集体-强烈影响所有成分的形貌。在相对较低的PEO负载下，PEO被吸收到气相二氧化硅聚集体的孔中。形态由PEO粘结在一起的互锁颗粒聚集体网络组成。在较高的PEO负载下，即使在低气相二氧化硅负载下，PEO和颗粒也会形成固相状的结合相。该形态有点类似于常规的共连续形态，其中一个相是PIB，另一相是气相二氧化硅填充的PEO。但是，微观结构非常不规则，PIB和PEO相之间的界面在一次颗粒的尺度上显得极为粗糙。具有两个渗滤相的形态几乎出现在所检查的整个组成范围内。与先前检查的球形熔融二氧化硅颗粒相比，气相二氧化硅在低得多的颗粒负载下影响聚合物共混物的形态，并大大拓宽了共连续性的范围。微观结构非常不规则，PIB和PEO相之间的界面在一次颗粒的尺度上显得极为粗糙。具有两个渗滤相的形态几乎出现在所检查的整个组成范围内。与之前检查过的球形熔融二氧化硅颗粒相比，气相二氧化硅在低得多的颗粒负载下影响聚合物共混物的形态，并大大拓宽了共连续性的范围。微观结构非常不规则，PIB和PEO相之间的界面在一次颗粒的尺度上显得极为粗糙。具有两个渗滤相的形态几乎出现在所检查的整个组成范围内。与先前检查的球形熔融二氧化硅颗粒相比，气相二氧化硅在低得多的颗粒负载下影响聚合物共混物的形态，并大大拓宽了共连续性的范围。