Desenvolvimento de nanoblendas poliméricas PMMA/SAN

Abstract

The motivation for this work was the idea that nanoblends are fundamentally dependent on the high interaction between the phases in the mixture. The strategy adopted in this study was based on the use of two polymers that have a miscibility window, which allows the establishment of an immiscibility condition very close to the limit of this window, providing low interfacial tension between phases. Nanoblends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as the matrix and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN) as the nanophase were obtained by blending in a twin screw extruder. The compatibilization between the phases was accomplished through the incorporation of the terpolymer (MGE) synthesized from the monomers methyl methacrylate (MMA), glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and ethyl acrylate (EA). The morphology of the blends was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The transparency of the blends and pure polymers was quantified by transmittance of visible light. Tests such as torque rheometry, capillary rheometry, tensile strength and chemical resistance to solvents were also performed. Nanoblends with 1 and 3 wt% of the dispersed phase were obtained in the absence of MGE. The introduction of the terpolymer allowed a significant reduction of the SAN phase for compositions with 5 and 10% by weight. Through this reduction blends with 5 wt% of SAN reach the nanoscale. It was found that blends transparency is directly related to the dispersed phase mass fraction. Blends mechanical properties were close to those of the PMMA. Blends and pure polymers did not swell by the solvents chosen.