THERMALLY STIMULATED CURRENT STUDY OF POLY(VINYL CHLORIDE) POLY(ETHYLENE-CO-METHYL METHACRYLATE) BLENDS

Blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(ethylene-co-methyl metha crylate) (PEMMA) were prepared by solution blending in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and studied by Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC) measurements together with relaxation map analysis (RMA). Each of the TSC global sp ectra of these blends exhibited three peaks where the intermediate was found generated by space charge. The high temperature peak near 70-de grees-C was attributed to the glass transition (T(g)) of PVC-rich phas e and the low temperature peak in the range of -70 to -40-degrees-C wa s related to the T(g) of PEMMA-rich phase. The significant shift of th e low temperature peak from T(g)(= -36-degrees-C) of PEMMA was attribu ted to the interaction of beta-transition of PVC with alpha-transition of PEMMA. Maximum interaction was also found at an PEMMA content of 2 0 wt%. Arrhenius lines in the RMA of the low temperature peak were fou nd to intersect at a single compensation point. From which the critica l temperature (T(c)), the relaxation time (tau(c)) and the degree-of-d isorder of the polymer blends were obtained.