a) b - École Polytechnique de Montréal

g)
Figure 6-5. (a) Schematic representation of the matrix/core-shell dispersed phase morphology,
(b) SEM micrograph of 60/10/30 HDPE/PS/PMMA blend after extraction of PS by cyclohexane,
(c) schematic representation of tri-continuous morphology (type I), (d) FIB-AFM image of
40/20/40 HDPE/PS/PMMA showing tri-continuous morphology. Scan size is 25μm×25μm. The
bar to the right of the FIB/AFM micrograph indicates the colours associated with the
topographical height in nm, (e) schematic representation of tri-continuous(type II), (f) SEM
micrograph of 30/30/40 HDPE/PS/PMMA after extraction of PS by cyclohexane, (g) schematic
representation of matrix/two separate dispersed phases morphology, and (h) SEM micrograph of
10/80/10 HDPE/PS/PMMA microtomed.
Note that in all schematics black represents the HDPE phase, grey represents the PS phase and
white represents the PMMA phase.
6.4.2 Tri-continuous Morphology
h)
In a ternary blend with a matrix/core-shell morphology, increasing the concentration of
the core phase results in the coalescence of core phases which leads to the formation of a tricontinuous
morphology. In the model ternary HDPE/PS/PMMA blend studied here, as predicted
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