Miscibility and specific interactions in blends of poly(4‐vinylphenol‐co‐methyl methacrylate)/poly(styrene‐co‐4‐vinylpyridine)

Abstract

AbstractThe miscibility and phase behavior of poly(4‐vinylphenol‐co‐methyl methacrylate) (PVPhMMA50) containing 50% of methyl methacrylate with random copolymers of poly(styrene‐co‐4‐vinylpyridine) (PS4VPy) containing 5, 15, 30, 40, and 100% of 4‐vinylpyridine, respectively, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was shown that for a composition of 4‐vinylpyridine less than 30%, all blends of PVPhMMA50/PS4VPy are immiscible, characterized by the apparition of two glass transitions (Tg) over their entire composition range. However, above this composition, a single Tg has been observed in all the blends of PVPhMMA50 and PS4VPy. When the amount of vinylpyridine exceeds to 40% in PS4VPy, the obtained Tgs of PVPhMMA50/PS4VPy blends were found to be significantly higher than those observed for each individual component of the mixture indicating that these blends are able to form interpolymer complexes. FTIR analysis reveals the existence of preferential specific interactions via hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl and pyridyl groups and intensifies when the amount of 4VPy is increased in PS4VPy copolymers. Furthermore, the quantitative FTIR study carried out for PVPhMMA50/PS4VPy blends was also performed for the vinylphenol and vinylpyridine functional groups. These results were also confirmed by SEM study. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012