Multifractal analysis on dispersion of immiscible high-density polyethylene/polystyrene blends processed via polymer vane plasticating extruder

A 30 wt % high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/70 wt % polystyrene (PS) blends and 5 wt % HDPE/95 wt % PS blends were prepared via polymer vane plasticating extruder, which can generate elongational force field, in different rotation speeds. The fracture surface of the HDPE/PS blends was observed by a scanning electron microscope, and the dispersion of the HDPE in the PS matrix was evaluated by multifractal programs. The multifractal spectrum width Da, and the dimension difference of maximum and minimum probability subset Df da_ were defined to discuss the homogeneity and the diameter of the HDPE particles. The results showed that the multifractal method was an effective tool to quantitatively describe the special distribution and diameter of the dispersed particles. VC 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.