3. Improved technology for obtaining reproducible and stable morphologies under commercial extrusion and molding conditions. 4. Better understanding of the correlations between rheology, morphology and mechanical properties to help optimize polymer blend design. 5. Development of effi cient toughening technology (impact strength, fracture toughness and ductile/brittle transition temperature). 6. Improving the long-term service life and performance of polymer blends (thermal aging/ embrittlement resistance, creep and fatigue resistance, weatherability, etc.). 7. Developing cost-effective processing (compounding and post-fabrication) technology. 8. Improving the recyclability and reprocessability aspects of polymer blends, particularly with respect to the retention of properties after multiple processing histories, to increase the effi ciency of regrind use. 9. Development of cost-effective technology for polymer blends that can continue to bridge the performance gaps between the commodity, engineering and specialty polymers.