Poly(methyl acrylate)/poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) sequential interpenetrating polymer networks. Miscibility and water sorption behavior

Sequential poly(methyl acrylate)/poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) interpenetrating polymer networks with different poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) contents were prepared by free radical polymerization of hydroxyethyl acrylate inside the previously polymerized poly(methyl acrylate) network. Differential scanning calorimetry on dry samples shows that the interpenetrating polymer networks exhibit phase separation, and no differences are found between the glass transition temperatures of the two phases present in the interpenetrating polymer network and those of the pure components. Thermally stimulated depolarization current experiments were used to study the influence of water sorption on the mobility of the different molecular groups in the poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) phase of the interpenetrating polymer network. Isothermal water sorption of the interpenetrating polymer networks and pure poly(methyl acrylate) and poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) networks is analyzed with different theories to compare the behavior of the poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) phase in the interpenetrating polymer networks with that of the pure poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) network. Diffusion coefficients of water in the interpenetrating polymer networks are obtained by means of dynamic sorption experiments. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1587–1599, 1999