MISCIBILITY OF RANDOM METHYL METHACRYLATE BUTYL ACRYLATE COPOLYMERS AND CHLORINATED POLYMERS WITH DIFFERENT MICROSTRUCTURE/

A range of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate), P(MMA-co-BA), copolymers with compositions ranging between 13 and 82 wt% n-butyl acr ylate have been mixed with three chlorine containing (56 wt% Cl) polym ers: conventional poly(vinyl chloride), (H-T)PVC, chlorinated poly(1,4 -butadiene), (H-H)PVC, and chlorinated polyethylene, CPE. The samples which contain the same amount of chlorine differ only in its sequence distribution along the chain. When these were blended with P(MMA-co-BA ) random copolymers, the lower critical solution temperature, LCST,was found to increase in the order: CPE< (H-T)PVC< (H-H)PVC Infrared band s attributed to specific intermolecular interactions were identified. The results give a qualitative demonstration of the influence of seque nce distribution on the miscibility of some polymer blends.