STUDIES ON WATER-SWELLABLE ELASTOMER .1. SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AMPHIPHILIC POLYMER

A new amphiphilic polymer i.e., polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafted crys talline neoprene, which was used as compatibilizer to improve the comp atibility of elastomer and water-absorbent resin, has been investigate d. The synthesis was based on the reaction between chlorine in neopren e and sodium salts of PEG. PEGs with molecular weights of 600 and 2000 were used. The grafting percent and the PEG content were calculated t hrough elemental analysis of chlorine in the resulted copolymers. The maximum grafting percent of copolymers was ca. 24.80%. The molecular p arameters such as number-average molecular weight and the average numb er of grafting chains on one CR backbone were also calculated and disc ussed. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.