Block copolymers are commercially significant and fundamentally interesting class of polymeric materials. The ability to undergo interfacial thermodynamics-controlled microphase separation from a completely disordered state in the melt to a specifically defined ordered structure through self-organization makes the block copolymers based materials unique. Block copolymer are strongly replacing many of the commercially available polymers due to their unique microstructure and properties. The most practical interests of block copolymers lie in the area of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). The objective of the present thesis work is to developing novel roots for enhancing the physical and mechanical properties in block copolymer and multigraft copolymers. Initially the properties are tailored by controlling chemical architecture at synthesis level and by selective blending at production level. This gives an easy access for improvement of the material properties and this is one of my major tasks in the present research modules. Further the block copolymer based TPEs are cross-linked in presence of electron beam (EB) radiation for developing materials with superior properties. The electron beam radiation has the ability to alter material parameters at molecular level for enhancing the macroscopic properties. The desirable physical and chemical properties can be easily attained by varying the radiation beam parameters. In addition to that, controlling the material at nanometer scale is one of the greatest challenges for current nanocomposite research. In elastomeric materials it is very prominent to fill the rubber matrix with nano particles from carbon or silica by melt mixing technique for enhancing the material properties. Other than conventional melt mixing technique, sol–gel processing is also a versatile technique, which making it possible to produce a wide variety of materials and to provide existing materials with novel properties. A combination of in situ sol-gel reaction with electron beam cross-linking in TPEs from triblock copolymer has been demonstrated for the first time as one of the novel nanocomposite system in this work. The main advantage of this system lies in controlling the material behaviour by finely tuning the size of silica nano particle generated inside TPE during in situ sol-gel reaction. Finally, the various roots employed for enhancing the material behaviour in block copolymers in the above research module were secussfully employed on super elastic multigraft copolymers for improving their strength withour sacrificing the super elastic nature.

Block copolymers are commercially significant and fundamentally interesting class of polymeric materials. The ability to undergo interfacial thermodynamics-controlled microphase separation from a completely disordered state in the melt to a specifically defined ordered structure through self-organization makes the block copolymers based materials unique. Block copolymer are strongly replacing many of the commercially available polymers due to their unique microstructure and properties. The most practical interests of block copolymers lie in the area of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). The objective of the present thesis work is to developing novel roots for enhancing the physical and mechanical properties in block copolymer and multigraft copolymers. Initially the properties are tailored by controlling chemical architecture at synthesis level and by selective blending at production level. This gives an easy access for improvement of the material properties and this is one of my major tasks in the present research modules. Further the block copolymer based TPEs are cross-linked in presence of electron beam (EB) radiation for developing materials with superior properties. The electron beam radiation has the ability to alter material parameters at molecular level for enhancing the macroscopic properties. The desirable physical and chemical properties can be easily attained by varying the radiation beam parameters. In addition to that, controlling the material at nanometer scale is one of the greatest challenges for current nanocomposite research. In elastomeric materials it is very prominent to fill the rubber matrix with nano particles from carbon or silica by melt mixing technique for enhancing the material properties. Other than conventional melt mixing technique, sol–gel processing is also a versatile technique, which making it possible to produce a wide variety of materials and to provide existing materials with novel properties. A combination of in situ sol-gel reaction with electron beam cross-linking in TPEs from triblock copolymer has been demonstrated for the first time as one of the novel nanocomposite system in this work. The main advantage of this system lies in controlling the material behaviour by finely tuning the size of silica nano particle generated inside TPE during in situ sol-gel reaction. Finally, the various roots employed for enhancing the material behaviour in block copolymers in the above research module were secussfully employed on super elastic multigraft copolymers for improving their strength withour sacrificing the super elastic nature.

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