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Different techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy are used for the examination of biopolymer-based materials. This chapter discusses the characterisation of structure and surface morphology of the biopolymers, their blends, and composites by these techniques. A careful examination of biopolymers, their blends and composites are essential for the fruitful application of these materials.

This reference work compiles and summarizes the available information on epoxy blends. It covers all essential areas – the synthesis, processing, characterization and applications of epoxy blends – in a comprehensive manner. The handbook is highly application-oriented and thus serves as a valuable, authoritative reference guide for researchers, engineers, and technologists working on epoxy blends, but also for graduate and postgraduate students, polymer chemists, and faculties at universities and colleges.The handbook is divided into three parts and organized by the types of blends and components: Part I covers epoxy rubber blends, Part II focuses on epoxy thermoplastic blends, and Part III examines epoxy block-copolymer blends. Each part starts with an introduction, and the individual chapters provide readers with comprehensive information on the synthesis and processing, analysis and characterization, properties and applications of the different epoxy blends. All parts conclude with a critical evaluation of the applications, weighing their advantages and drawbacks. Leading international experts from corporate and academic research institutions and universities discuss the correlations of different epoxy blend properties with their macro-, micro- and nanostructures. This handbook thus offers a rich resource for newcomers to the field, and a major reference work for experienced researchers, the first of its kind available on the market. As epoxies find extremely broad applications, e.g. in oil & gas, in the chemical industry, building and construction industry, automotive, aviation and aerospace, boat building and marine applications, in adhesives and coatings, and many more, this handbook addresses researchers and practitioners from all these fields.

New ways to improve the thermal properties of epoxy systems have been interesting topic for polymer researchers for several years. The block copolymer-modified epoxy matrix has received a great deal of attention and is still being intensely studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is the most commonly used technique to investigate the thermal properties of epoxy/block copolymer systems. It can generally provide information such as phase behavior, miscibility, glass transition temperature, melting temperature, etc. between the block copolymer blocks and the epoxy matrix. In this chapter, we have mainly focused on the changes in the glass transition properties of the thermosets modified with block copolymers. The influence of the type of block copolymers and curing agents used and the effects of cure time and temperature on the phase behavior and microphase separation of epoxy thermosets are also discussed.

Epoxy polymers are well known for their superior barrier properties in various environmental conditions. Block copolymers and thermoplastics were added to these epoxy polymers to modify their hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance and control various macroscopic physical properties such as moisture absorption, cross-linking, and degradation. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance is an important property of any material that determines their fate in the real-world application. Here, in this chapter, water and solvent sorption in various epoxy blends were discussed. Specifically, the change in hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance in the presence of various amounts of block copolymers and thermoplastics were discussed. Contact angle and surface free energy measurements in these blends gave an indication of change in surface properties with respect to blend compositions. Additionally, the nano/micro channels produced by microphase separation of block copolymers and their bulk phase separated morphologies had a greater influence on the sorption behavior of the epoxy blends. This chapter would give an overview of water and solvent sorption behavior of various epoxy/block copolymer and epoxy/thermoplastic blends studied in recent years.