SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF A GRAFT COPOLYMER CONTAINING QUATERNARY AMMONIUM-SALTS

An amphiphilic graft copolymer having both segments compatible with ma trix polymers and ionic segments has been synthesized by radical copol ymerization of isopropenylphenyl-terminated poly(beta-methyl-delta-val erolactone) macromer and methacryloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride a nd characterized, and its properties have been studied. Solvent-cast b lend films prepared from the graft copolymer and matrix polymers such as PMMA and PVC were highly transparent, having a surface resistance a s low as similar to 10(8) Omega/sq and volume resistivity of similar t o 10(9) Omega cm. X-ray microanalysis and the storage modulus of the f ilm suggested that the low volume resistivity is attributable to the p seudo-crosslinking structure, i.e. networks consisting of the graft co polymer aggregates, and that the networks formed inside the film might act as an ion-conducting channel. The graft copolymer has a good pros pect of developing a new field of application as a polymeric antistati c agent.