Studies on the thermal, mechanical, compatibility, and morphological properties of zinc-neutralized ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer ionomer blend with m-aramid

Abstract

A series of binary composite blends of m-aramid/zinc ionomer ( m-Ar/ZnI) with different weight ratio were prepared by the solution blend technique. These composite films were characterized in terms of the structure, crystallinity, morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties. The temperature corresponding to 5% ( T5%) weight loss are in the range of 101–438°C. The composite films showed good storage modulus (in the range of 2.1–3.1 GPa) and high glass transition temperature ( Tg) (in the range of 254–278°C) and exhibited good tensile strength but it decreased with an increase in the content of ZnI. The strong compatibilizing effect was observed between the m-Ar and ZnI components, where exceptionally self-assembled morphology was formed in the m-Ar/ZnI composite films. The most favorable mechanical and thermal data supported by the finest structure were observed with 3:0.50 weight ratio. This study evaluates the efficiency of ionomer in m-Ar/ZnI composite blends.