Compatibilizing effects of copolymers of chloroprene and alkylmethacrylates with different alkyl groups in polychloroprene/poly(alkyl methacrylate) blends

Abstract

Miscibility of blends of polychloroprene (CR) and poly(alkyl methacrylate)s (PAMAs), such as poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA), poly(isobutyl methacrylate) (PiBMA) and poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) prepared by casting from tetrahydrofuran, were investigated by their glass transition temperature behaviours and morphologies. Since the blends of CR and PAMA were incompatible regardless of the different alkyl groups, copolymers of chloroprene and ethyl methacrylate (poly(CP- co-EMA)), isobutyl methacrylate (poly(CP- co-iBMA)) and glycidyl methacrylate (poly(CP- co-GMA)) were prepared as compatibilizers by radical solution copolymerization. Compatibilization effects of those copolymers were studied for the CR/PAMA blends of 50 50 wt% composition. For comparison, the graft copolymers of alkyl methacrylates onto CR were also prepared. The copolymers and graft copolymers showed compatibilizing effects in the blends consisting of each homopolymer, and the copolymers showed better compatibilizing effect than the graft copolymers. It was concluded that the compatibilizing effect of the copolymers in the CR/PAMA blends was more prominent in the order poly(CP- co-GMA) > poly(CP- co-iBMA) > poly(CP- co-EMA).