PVC/PBA random copolymers prepared by Living Radical Polymerization (SET–DTLRP): Entanglements and chain dimensions

Abstract

For the first time PVC–PBA random copolymers were prepared by Single Electron Transfer–Degenerative Chain Transfer Living Radical Polymerization giving rise to homogeneous chains, in terms of PVC/PBA proportion. Dynamic viscoelastic measurements in the terminal zone allowed evaluating the entanglement plateau modulus value, GN0, for each composition. An equation based on a model that correlates GN0 to melt chain dimensions was used to fit the variation of GN0 with PBA concentration. Correspondingly, the entanglements number, the characteristic ratio and the packing length values of each copolymer were obtained. As a corollary, the characteristic ratio of PBA, never reported before, was also evaluated.