Synthesis and Characterization of Polyvinyl Alkyl Ester and Polyvinyl Alcohol Homopolymers and Blends of Polyvinyl Alkyl Esters

Abstract

Polyvinyl alkyl esters (PVAe) are a family of macromolecules in which the ester side chains (pendant groups) increase in molar mass and hydrophobicity and decrease in structural polarity as the number of carbons in the pendant group increases. These PVAe are commonly used in adhesives, industrial coatings, plasticizers, textile finishes, chewing gum bases, and paint thickeners. The most significant polymer in the family of PVAe is polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), which is the precursor for making polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), the largest volume water-soluble, non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer in the world used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food industries, laundry detergents, and freshwater sports fishing. In this study, the goal is to synthesize polyvinyl alkyl ester homopolymers of various molecular weights by esterifying polyvinyl alcohol with alkyl anhydrides. The study also includes the synthesis of various polyvinyl alcohol homopolymers from different polyvinyl acetates via hydrolysis. These polymers were studied via gel permeation chromatography (GPC), multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS), intrinsic viscosity, elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Blends of polyvinyl alkyl ester homopolymers with defined compositions were also studied using quantitative FT-IR.