Polymer-polymer interaction parameters via melting point depression. A critical analysis

In this paper we critically review the procedures used to extract polymer-polymer interaction parameters (X) from melting point data and comment on the reliability of derived X values in different situations. Measurements of accurate experimental melting points is an underappreciated problem and has a major impact on the reliability of extrapolated equilibrium melting points, from which X is calculated. Example calculations illustrate that great caution must be exercised before interaction parameters derived from this method can be considered as reliable.