Self-compatibilization of polymer blends prepared via functionalized concentrated emulsion polymerization

Two "functionalized" concentrated emulsions in water were prepared separate ly, one from a weakly polymerized mixture of styrene (S) and a small amount of acrylic acid (AA) and the other from a mixture of butyl acrylate (or bu tyl methacrylate) and a small amount of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). After the two concentrated emulsions were polymerized partially, they were mixed and subjected to complete polymerization. During the latter polymerization, reactions between the carboxyl groups of the AA moieties of the S/AA copol ymer and the glycidyl groups of the GMA-containing copolymer occurred, and copolymers and crosslinked structures were generated that constituted the c ompatibilizers of the system. The blend materials thus obtained possessed e xcellent toughness compared to those without functional groups. (C) 1999 Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Inc.