Compatibilization phenomenon in polymer science and technology: Chemical aspects

Polymer blends are mixtures of two or more macromolecular species – polymers and/or copolymers. They are used to increase the range of properties available from existing polymers without synthesizing new ones, which is time consuming and expensive. But most blends are immiscible, and need to be compatibilized. The compatibilization must not only insure improvement in performance, it must be clearly defined with regard to the method and objective. Keeping this view in focus, the present review classifies the main approaches that are available into four well-defined “routes” to compatibilization for various types of polymers and copolymers. Further, the possibility of using an innovative combination of in-situ polymerization and in-situ compatibilization as a new route to polymeric nano-blends is explained. While most of the present narrative deals with different types of binary polymer/copolymer blends, pathways for extension of some of the methods to ternary or multicomponent blending and the significance of the novel composite compatibilizers in this context are also highlighted.