Phase structure and properties of polymer mixtures using a polymethyl methacrylate-polyvinyl chloride system

Investigation at the chain segmental level of the miscibility of poly(vinyl chloride)/atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

“…Knowledge of the miscibility and phase behavior of polymer blends is essential for controlling their properties. Various methods have been used to characterize the miscibility of polymer blends, such as thermal, mechanical, and electrical measurements; light scattering techniques; microscopy; and spectroscopy 1–14. Solid‐state NMR spectroscopy is particularly powerful for characterizing the phase behavior of polymer blends at the molecular level by providing information on the microstructure of blends and the dynamics of chain relaxation.…”

“…Blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been made with different approaches 8–21. However, the miscibility of this system at the segmental scale has not been investigated.…”

“…With differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis, Schurer et al12 first studied this system and concluded that PVC/PMMA blends were miscible when the PMMA concentration was less than 40 wt %. Razinskaya et al9 found the blends to be immiscible when the blends were prepared by solution casting from tetrahydrofuran. Walsh and Walsh10 stated that PVC and PMMA were miscible in all compositions when methyl ethyl ketone was used as the casting solvent.…”

Solvent effects on polymer surface structure

“…The bulk phase miscibility of this blend system was studied by different research groups with controversial results as measured by thermal analysis techniques. Razinskaya et al 40 were unable to produce compatible blends of PMMA/PVC from THF, whereas Walsch and McKeown 41 reported that compatible blends were produced using MEK. Miscible blends of PMMA and PVC also were reported to be produced by Jager et al 42 and Tremblay et al 43 It is clear that the solvent plays an important role in this mixing process.…”

Study of the solvent effect on miscibility between poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(methyl methacrylate) in the solution state - viscometric measurements

“…In this work, the used polymers, PVC and PMMA, have hydrogen bonding-like interactions between the a-hydrogen of PVC and the carbonyl groups of PMMA (ClÐCÐH ... O=C , ), whereas this speci®c interaction might give a support to obtain the miscible PVC/ PMMA mixture. Walsh and McKeown 5,6 and Schurer et al 7 have reported that methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) was a better solvent for preparing miscible PVC/ PMMA mixtures, but Razinskaya et al 8 stated that the PVC/PMMA ®lm was immiscible when THF was used for ®lm casting, and Li et al 9 obtained two separated T g s from DSC results. The solvent effect is considered to be an important factor for the miscibility between PVC and PMMA in the casting ®lm.…”