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Abstract
In multi-component soft matter, interface properties often play a key role in determining
the properties of the overall system. The identification of the internal dynamic structures
in non-equilibrium situations requires the interface rheology to be characterized.
We have developed a method to quantify the rheological contribution of soft interfaces
and evaluate the dynamic modulus of the interface. This method reveals that the dynamic
shear responses of interfaces in bilayer systems comprising polypropylene and three
different polyethylenes can be classified as having hardening and softening effects
on the overall system: a interface between linear long polymers becomes more elastic
than the component polymers, while large polydispersity or long-chain-branching of
one component make the interface more viscous. We find that the chain lengths and
architectures of the component polymers, rather than equilibrium immiscibility, play
an essential role in determining the interface rheological properties.