Abstract
A new approach to prepare blends of polystyrene (PS) and poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE) directly in the reactor is presented. The key step in this new route is the in situ ‘cold’ end-capping of PPE, dissolved in styrene, but the acetylation of the reactive phenolic end group of PPE. Without isolation of the PPE-acetyl (Ac), the reaction mixture is subjected to a classical styrene suspension polymerization procedure, yielding homogeneous beads of PS/PPE-Ac. The presence of PPE-Ac does not interfere chemically with the styrene polymerization as demonstrated by g.p.c. analysis of the separated constituents of the blend. A series of blends with different compositions was prepared. The maximum content of PPE in these reaction blends is 35 wt%, due to a limitation in viscosity of the PPE-styrene solution. Homogeneous transparent amorphous beads of PS/PPE-Ac were obtained, possessing a single glass transition temperature between 105°C and 140°C, depending on the composition.
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