Optimum conditions for preparing micron-sized PMMA beads in the dispersion polymerization using PVA

The optimum conditions for preparing micron-sized monodisperse polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) beads by dispersion polymerization in a methanol/water mixture were proposed. PMMA forming microspheres having an average molecular weight of 55,300 g/mol, 2.6 μm weight-average diameter, with a 5.3% coefficient of variation and 91% conversion, were successfully obtained in the presence of 15 wt.% of polyvinylalcohol (PVA), 100/50 (g/g) of MeOH/water mixtures at 70°C; the reaction lasted for 8 h. Compared to dispersion polymerization using polyvinylpirrolydone, PVA proved to be an extremely stable steric stabilizer in the dispersion polymerization of methylmethacrylate.     

Enhancing the thermal and mechanical properties of PMMA using zinc carbazone complex as the initiator

A convincing mechanistic role that lies behind the elevation of thermal indicative parameters when using Zn carbazone as the initiator for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate monomer. The overall results summed up decisively that increasing concentration of the complex had led to an increase in the glass transition temperature, eliminated the scission of the head-to-head linkage, and the unsaturated end chains scissions. Improvements of the PMMA thermal parameters are thought to have arisen due to role played by the Zn carbazone in increasing the polymer stereospecificity. Tensile testing shows that there is a strong relation between the thermal and mechanical properties of PMMA.     

Thermal and weathering degradation of poly(propylene carbonate)

High molecular-weight poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) can remain intact upon storage in ambient air or in water for 8 months once the catalyst is completely removed. Catalyst-free pure PPC is also thermally stable below 180 °C. At 200 °C, degradation occurs, mainly due to attack of the chain-ended hydroxyl group onto a carbonate linkage, through which the molecular weight distribution is broadened by simultaneous formation of low and high molecular weight fractions. Incomplete removal of hydrogen peroxide generated during the catalyst preparation results in a prepared polymer that contains a substantial amount of polymer chains grown biaxially from hydrogen peroxide, which gives rise to more severe thermal degradation. Experiments conducted in a weathering chamber at high temperature (63 °C) and high humidity (50%) revealed another degradation process involving chain scission through an attack of water molecules onto the carbonate linkage, which progressively and temporally lowers molecular weight.     

Poly(methyl methacrylate) composites prepared by in situ polymerization using organophillic nano-to-submicrometer zinc oxide particles

Nano- and submicrometer zinc(II) oxide particles were synthesized by the polyol method and were used for the preparation of ZnO/poly(methyl methacrylate) (ZnO/PMMA) composite materials by the chain polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in bulk. ZnO particles with an organophilic surface layer were homogeneously dispersed in the PMMA matrix. Very low concentrations (0.1 wt.%) of nano zinc oxide absorbed over 98% of UV light as determined by UV-vis spectroscopy. Nano zinc oxide (75 nm) increased the initial decomposition temperature of the PMMA matrix by 30-40 °C at concentrations of 0.1% and above. This was explained by the changes in the termination mechanism of MMA polymerization resulting in a reduced concentration of vinylidene chain ends. Nano ZnO also increased the MMA polymerization reaction rate and reduced the activation energy. Submicrometer ZnO showed lower UV absorption, thermal stabilization and no influence on the reaction kinetics indicating that average particle size is of vital importance for the properties of PMMA nanocomposites and for MMA polymerization.     

Reverse Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of MMA in the Presence of CaCO3/SiO2 Two-Component Composite Particles

Summary: We previously discovered that structurally well-defined polymer/inorganic composite particles, i.e., poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/CaCO₃/SiO₂ three-component composite particles, can be achieved via reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), using 2,2′-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile as initiator and Cu^II bromide as catalyst. In the present study, the influence of the mass ratio of CaCO₃/SiO₂ two-component composite particles to methyl methacrylate (MMA) on the rate and behavior of the polymerization was studied in detail. The results illustrate that increasing the mass ratio of CaCO₃/SiO₂ two-component composite particles will decrease the overall rate of polymerization of MMA under standard reverse ATRP conditions. Thermal properties of the obtained well-defined particles were characterized and determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicate that well-defined PMMA chains grafted on the surface of CaCO₃/SiO₂ particles were only degraded by random chain scission of C C linkages within the PMMA chain, which is different from the degradation of PMMA chains prepared via traditional radical polymerization. This difference is reasonably ascribed to the difference between the end groups of PMMA prepared via reverse ATRP and that via traditional radical polymerization, which has been confirmed by end group analysis measured by ¹H–NMR spectroscopy.     

N,N′-Diaminoethane linked bis-TEMPO-mediated free radical polymerization of styrene

The N,N′-diaminoethane linked bis-TEMPO nitroxide (C2)-mediated free radical polymerization of styrene at 135 °C in bulk was studied. It was found that under comparable conditions a single nitroxide group of C2 biradical retards the polymerization more than TEMPO. The results were discussed in terms of through-space interactions between two TEMPO moieties of C2 biradical and diffusion effects. According to experimental results analyzed by means of statistical methods, the polymerization system displays a bimodal molecular-weight distribution (MWD) from the beginning of the polymerization process, most probably by undergoing decomposition side reactions leading to irreversible polymer arm (P) separation from PC2P to PC2 and PC2H alkoxyamines. The scale of the decomposition depends rather on the time the system is maintained at the polymerization temperature than on conversion of monomer. Generally, the contribution of low molecular weight chains to overall MWD increases with time of polymerization whereas the contribution of high molecular weight chains to MWD increases for less controlled polymerization systems. For polymers obtained at high [dinitroxide]/[initiator] ratio, the thermal treatment of polystyrene in mass at 135 °C unexpectedly revealed an increase of M_n, which can probably be ascribed to post-polymerization effects involving polystyrene with unsaturated chains end groups.     

Synthesis and thermal properties of bisphthalonitriles containing aromatic ether nitrile linkages

Low-melting bisphthalonitrile oligomers with variable length of aromatic ether nitrile linkages (nPEN-BAPh) was firstly synthesized and the length of the linkages (n) was controlled by mole ratio of 2, 6-dichlorobenzonitrile and bisphenol A. The oligomers were characterized by FTIR and NMR spectra, and detailed study showed that the linkages were constructed in the backbone of nPEN-BAPh. The FTIR showed, with the curing reaction progressed, the characteristic peak of nitrile at 2230 cm⁻¹ disappeared while the characteristic peak of phthalocyanine ring at 3290, 1010 cm⁻¹ and triazine ring at 1360 cm⁻¹ appeared. The melting and polymerization temperature of the oligomers was around 60 °C and 220 °C, respectively. So a large processing window was obtained. The char yields of completely cured materials were above 65% at 800 °C in nitrogen and over 70% at 600 °C in air. All materials exhibited excellent thermal and thermo-oxidative stability.     

Grafting on polybutadiene with polytetrahydrofuran macroperoxyinitiators. Postpolymerization studies

Grafting reactions of polybutadiene with macro peroxy initiators and postpolymerization were studied. The cationic polymerization of tetrahydrofuran (THF) initiated by the cationic species derived from bis-(4-bromomethylbenzoyl) peroxide (BBP) or bis-(3,5-dibromomethylbenzoyl) peroxide (BDBP) gave the PTHF macroperoxy initiator (MPI). PTHF-b-PMMA macroperoxy initiator (MPIb) was also obtained by the redox polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated with the hydroxyl ends of PTHF and Ce(IV) salts without decomposing the peroxide groups in the middle. Macroperoxy initiators thermally grafted on cis-polybutadiene (PBD) with thermal curing to yield graft copolymers containing crosslinked and soluble parts, which were separated by the sol-gel analysis. FTIR spectra of the crosslinked samples indicated the characteristic signals of the PTHF, PBD and PMMA blocks. The crosslinked copolymers decomposed at around 470 °C. Postpolymerization of the crosslinked products indicated the increase in crosslinking density which has been followed by measuring the gradual increase of swelling values. Postpolymerization crosslinking was estimated as a first order reaction rate.     

PMMA/MMT nanocomposites prepared by one-step in situ intercalative solution polymerization

Poly(methylmetacrylate)/montmorillonite (PMMA)/(MMT) nanocomposites were prepared by one-step in situ intercalative solution polymerization involving simultaneous modification of MMT with quaternary ammonium salts (QAS), polymerization and polymer intercalation. Polymerization proceeded at 70 °C in a mixture of ethanol and water, whereas the nanocomposite was precipitated with only water. Four QAS’s with different alkyl chain lengths, as well as a QAS with an additional acrylic group, were used to study the influence of the type of quaternary ammonium salt on intercalation. The largest extent of intercalation was achieved in nanocomposites with the QAS having one long alkyl (C16) chain. The obtained PMMA/MMT intercalated nanocomposites exhibited a higher glass transition temperature, better thermal stability, and improved solvent resistance than the pure PMMA.     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyimides containing ethynylene linkages

We have synthesized a series of new diamines containing bis(ethynylaniline) linkages by bromine substitution reaction of ethynylaniline with 4,4′-bis(4-bromophthalimido)diphenylether (PODA) or 1,4-bis(4-bromophthalimido)benzene (PPDA). The intermediates were separated at each step, purified and characterized by the spectroscopic techniques. The model compound having imide and triple bond moiety was synthesized in order to elucidate the nature of the products formed from the ethynyl curing by FT-IR spectroscopy. The polymerization reaction of ethynylaniline diamines with various dianhydrides gave fully imidized and soluble aromatic polyimides. The thermally cured polyimide samples displayed good solvent resistance. The thermal crosslinking of triple bond moieties in the main chain was carried out by heating in the temperature range from 150 to 400 °C. The glass transition temperature of polyimide completely disappeared after heat treatment at 400 °C for 5 min. The polyimides derived from diamines containing bis(ethynylaniline) groups were thermally stable after heat treatment.     

Pyrolysis mass spectrometry analysis of polycarbonate/poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl acetate) ternary blends

Direct insertion probe pyrolysis mass spectrometry (DIP-MS) analyses of polycarbonate/poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl acetate), (PC/PMMA/PVAc), ternary blends have been performed. The PC/PMMA/PVAc ternary blends were obtained by coalescing from their common γ-cyclodextrin-inclusion compounds (CD-ICs), through the removal of the γ-CD host (coalesced blend), and by a co-precipitation method (physical blend). The coalesced ternary blend showed different thermal behaviors compared to the co-precipitated physical blend. The stability of PC chains decreased due to the reactions of CH₃COOH formed by deacetylation of PVAc above 300 °C, for both coalesced and physical blends. This process was more effective for the physical blend most likely due to the enhanced diffusion of CH₃COOH into the amorphous PC domains, where it can further react producing low molecular weight PC fragments bearing methyl carbonate chain ends. The decrease in thermal stability of PC chains was less significant for the coalesced ternary blend indicating that the diffusion of CH₃COOH was either somewhat limited or competed with intermolecular reactions between PMMA and PC and between PMMA and PVAc, which were detected and were associated with their close proximity in the intimately mixed coalesced PC/PMMA/PVAc ternary blend.     

Chemical reactions occurring in the thermal treatment of PC/PMMA blends

The chemical reactions occurring in the thermal treatment of bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends have been investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and thermogravimetry (TG). Our results suggest that in the melt-mixing of PC/PMMA blends, at 230°C, no exchange reactions occur and that only the depolymerization reaction of PMMA has been observed. In the presence of an ester-exchange catalyst (SnOBu₂), an exchange reaction was found to occur at 230°C, but no trace of PC/PMMA graft copolymer has been observed. Instead, an exchange reaction between the monomer methyl methacrylate (MMA), generated in the unzipping of PMMA chains, and the carbonate groups of PC has been suggested. This is due to the diffusion of MMA at the interface or even into the PC domains, where it can react with PC producing low molar mass PC oligomers bearing methacrylate and methyl carbonate chain ends and leaving the undecomposed PMMA chains unaffected. The TG curves of PC/PMMA blends prepared by mechanical mixing and by casting from THF show two separated degradation steps corresponding to that of homopolymers. This behavior is different from that of a transparent film of PC/PMMA blend, obtained by solvent casting from DCB/CHCl₃, which shows a single degradation step indicating that the degradation rate of PC is increased by the presence of PMMA in the blend. The thermal degradation products obtained by DPMS of this blend consist of methyl methacrylate (MMA), cyclic carbonates arising from the degradation of PMMA and PC, respectively, and a series of open chain bisphenol-A carbonate oligomers with methacrylate and methyl carbonate terminal groups. The presence of the latter compounds suggests a thermally activated exchange reaction occurring above 300°C between MMA and PC. The presence of bisphenol-A carbonate oligomers bearing methyl ether end groups, generated by a thermally activated decarboxylation of the methyl carbonate end groups of PC, has also been observed among the pyrolysis products. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1873–1884, 1998     

新型乳液聚合制备疏松PMMA树脂及成粒机理

采用以水相为分散相、甲基丙烯酸甲酯 (MMA) 环己烷混合物为连续相的新型乳液聚合制备PMMA树脂 .发现 ,在未加乳化剂和加入少量Tween2 0乳化剂时 ,均可制备由初级粒子凝聚而成、无明显皮膜结构的疏松PMMA粒子 ,初级粒子粒径小于环己烷存在下MMA悬浮聚合得到的PMMA粒子的初级粒子 .根据聚合体系相构成、PMMA在MMA 环己烷混合液的溶解性及PMMA粒子粒径分布和形态的演变 ,提出了在分散水滴内乳液聚合形成初级粒子 生长 凝聚的新型乳液聚合成粒机理     

Curing conditions of polyarylacetylene prepolymers to obtain thermally resistant materials

Prepolymers of polyarylacetylene (PAA) were synthesized from 1,4-diethynylbenzene using nickel catalyst (C20, C25, and C30) or by direct thermal polymerization (T48). Their curing behaviors were investigated in detail to determine the proper curing conditions that lead to high char yields in cured PAA resins. Dynamic and isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements were employed to investigate the curing conditions of the prepolymers. Dynamic DSC study reveals that exothermic heat starts at about 120 °C, reaches to a maximum at 210 °C, and ends around 300 °C. Moreover, step isothermal DSC investigation (at 120, 160, 200, 250, and 300 °C; 1 h for each temperature) shows that the major curing occurs at 160 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C, with more than 85% of the acetylene groups reacted. Using this step-curing conditions, very high thermal resistance is realized on C30, with thermal decomposition temperature (at 10% weight loss) and char yield (at 800 °C) being 686 °C and 86%, respectively. Current results indicate that highly thermal resistant PAA resins are obtainable using step curing of PAA prepolymers synthesized by Ni-catalyzed reaction.     

Growth of poly(methyl methacrylate) brushes on silicon surfaces by atom transfer radical polymerization

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) brushes are grown by surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization on silicon surfaces at various polymerization temperatures. Kinetic studies show that the layer thickness scales linearly with the degree of polymerization of the polymers under some conditions, indicating a constant graft density of the surface‐attached chains. At high temperatures, the layer growth is a controlled process only for short reaction times, and after a rapid increase, the film growth levels off, and a constant thickness is obtained. At lower reaction temperatures, polymers with a lower polydispersity are obtained, but at the expense of a much slower growth rate. Accordingly, intermediate temperatures yield the highest film thickness on experimentally feasible timescales. The reinitiation of these surface‐grafted PMMA chains at room temperature to either extend the chains or grow a chemically different polyglycidylmethacrylate block demonstrates the presence of active ends and the living nature of the surface‐grafted PMMA chains. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1758–1769, 2006     

Glass transition and polymer dynamics in silver/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites

Dynamic mechanical–thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC) and, mainly, broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) were employed to investigate in detail glass transition and polymer dynamics in silver/poly(methyl methacrylate) (Ag/PMMA) nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were prepared by radical polymerization of MMA in the presence of surface modified Ag nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 5.6 nm dispersed in chloroform. The fraction of Ag nanoparticles in the final materials was varied between 0 and 0.5 wt%, the latter corresponding to 0.055 vol%. The results show that the nanoparticles have practically no effect on the time scale of the secondary β and γ relaxations, whereas the magnitude of both increases slightly but systematically with increasing filler content. The segmental α relaxation, associated with the glass transition, becomes systematically faster and stronger in the nanocomposites. The glass transition temperature T_g decreases with increasing filler content of the nanocomposites up to about 10 °C, in good correlation by the four techniques employed. Finally, the elastic modulus decreases slightly but systematically in the nanocomposites, both in the glassy and in the rubbery state. The results are explained in terms of plasticization of the PMMA matrix, due to constraints imposed to packing of the chains by the Ag nanoparticles, and at the same time, of the absence of strong polymer–filler interactions, due to the surface modification of the Ag nanoparticles by oleylamine at the stage of preparation.     

Determination of residual levels of unsaturation in partially hydrogenated poly(2,3-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene) using thermogravimetry

The thermal degradation characteristics of head-to-head poly(styrene) (HHPS) should provide insight with respect to the impact of head-to-head placement on the thermal stability of the traditional atactic head-to-tail polymer (HTPS). The synthesis of head-to-head poly(styrene) must be accomplished indirectly. The HHPS is most satisfactorily obtained by dissolving metal reduction of poly(2,3-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene) (PDBD) generated by radical polymerization of the corresponding diene monomer. Full saturation of the polymer mainchain requires several iterations of the reduction procedure. Since the decomposition of PDBD is prominent at 374 °C and that for HHPS is similarly facile at 406 °C, it seemed feasible that TGA of partially hydrogenated PDBD might be utilized as a convenient means of monitoring the extent of hydrogenation. This has been demonstrated for various levels of unsaturation remaining—from approximately 90 to less than 10%. Within this range the peak areas from the DTG plots of the partially hydrogenated polymer provide a good reflection of the ratio of unsaturated to saturated units in the polymer. Even low levels of unsaturation in the polymer may be detected by the asymmetry of the decomposition peak for the polymer.     

Surface, core, and structure modifications of phosphorus-containing dendrimers. Influence on the thermal stability

Three new series of phosphorus-containing dendrimers are described. Their solubility depends on the type of end groups they bear. Perfluoroalkyl chains give dendrimers soluble in chlorofluorocarbons, whereas guanidinium and pyridinium derivatives give water-soluble compounds. The thermal stability of these compounds, as well as of 19 other dendrimers of various generations, having various cores, or various end groups, or branching points is studied. The main feature of this study is that the internal structure of these dendrimers is thermally stable at least up to 376°C. The number of the generation has practically no influence, whereas the principal criterion influencing the thermal stability is the type of end groups. The water-soluble cationic dendrimers are the least stable, but even those are stable up to 225°C. For most of these dendrimers, an important percentage of mass (around 50%) is retained even at a temperature as high as 1000°C. In the best case, up to 70% of the initial mass is retained at 1000°C.     

Polymerization Mechanism of Vinyl Chloride with Trialkylaluminum-Lewis Base Catalyst and Thermal Stability of Poly(vinyl Chloride)

The mechanism of vinyl chloride polymerization by the tri-ethylaluminum-Lewis base-carbon tetrachloride catalyst system and the thermal stability of the resulting polymer were investigated. When the Lewis base is multidentate, the resultant complex with triethylaluminum shows significantly high catalytic activity for radical polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of carbon tetrachloride to give a white powder with high molecular weight. Carbon tetrachloride accelerates the rate of polymerization and participates in an initiating process rather than in a propagating step. The thermal stability of the polymer prepared with this catalyst system is much superior to that of commercial polyvinyl chloride), although the numbers of the double bonds in a chain end and of the head-to-head linkage are similar in both samples, suggesting that the thermally unstable structures of the former react with triethylaluminum to give the thermally stable structure on the polymerization process.     

Synthesis of poly[1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-(pentafluorophenyl)propan-2-yl methacrylate]: Thermal and optical properties of the copolymers with methyl methacrylate

Poly[1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-(pentafluorophenyl)propan-2-yl methacrylate (I)] was synthesized, and the copolymers of the monomer I with various compositions of methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared and characterized. The glass transition temperature values obtained for the copolymers were between 120 and 150 °C. The refractive indices of the copolymers were in the range of 1.4350-1.4872 at 532 nm. They were thermally stable (up to 297-323 °C), and their water absorptive properties were greatly decreased, compared with pure PMMA.