Monomolecular film behavior of copoly (methyl methacrylate styrene) and physical mixtures of poly (methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene at the water/air interface

Abstract

Studies of the two-dimensionai molecular orientation and molecular packing of polymers have provided some insight into their interracial behavior (1-7). The effect of polymer structure on monolayer interracial behavior has been studied by Ries and coworkers (1-3, 5). It has been observed that when an acetate group in the polymer backbone is replaced by a benzoate group a completely different polymer film orientation will result (4). The study of monolayer films of polymer mixtures and copolymers has not been given sufficient attention. Some knowledge of the behavior of mixture has become available only recently (2-4, 8). Polymer-polymer interaction in monomoleeular films comprising mixtures of polyvinyl acetate and polyethylacrylate was recently discussed by one of us (A. L.) and the deviations of polymer segmental area from that based on ideal behavior were calculated (8) by means of a simple thermodynamic treatment. Sufficient knowledge of the interfaeial behavior of copolymers is also lacking. In a study using copoly(octadecene-vinyl acetate) and copoly(octadecene-vinyl alcohol) it has been shown that copolymers possess better molecular packing ability than the corresponding physical mixtures (9). In the present work, the monomolecular