Conetworks on the base of polystyrene with poly(methyl methacrylate) paired polymers

Abstract

AbstractIt is found that forced (reactive) blending of polystyrene (PS) with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) involves the covalent binding of heterogeneous macromolecules to afford the paired polymers. For this purpose, the “anchor” N-H unsubstituted tetrazole or oxirane functional groups are preliminarily introduced in the structure of both polymers in a small amount that leads to a covalent binding of the heterogeneous macromolecules. The reaction between the modified PS and PMMA is carried out in dimethylformamide (DMF), toluene and dichloroethane (DCE) at a high total concentration of polymers (10-20 g dL-1). The process is accompanied by gel-formation to deliver cross-linked paired polymers It is established that the highest rate of the paired polymer is attained in the DCE medium, while the lowest rate is observed in DMF. For paired polymers synthesized in DMF, two glass transition temperatures (Tg) of 92°C and 104°C correspond to the original PS and PMMA, respectively. The products of forced blending of PS and PMMA in toluene have one averaged Tg value (99°C), whereas those obtained in DCE show no pronounced glass transition region at 90 ÷ 115°C. In toluene or DCE, the paired polymers are formed, which represent single-phase systems having one glass transition region.