Synthesis of poly[(2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl vinyl ether-co-N-phenylmaleimide] and its miscibility in blends with styrene-acrylonitrile or poly(vinyl chloride)

The aim of the study was to investigate the synthesis of a copolymer bearin g cyclic carbonate and its miscibility with styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) or poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). (2-Oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl vinyl ether (OVE) as a monomer was synthesized from glycidyl vinyl ether and CO2 using quaternary ammanium chloride salts as catalysts. The highest reactio n rate was observed when tetraoctylammonium chloride (TOAC) was used as a c atalyst. Even at the atmospheric pressure of CO2, the yield of OVE using TO AC was above 80% after 6 h of reaction at 80 degrees C. The copolymer of OV E and N-phenylmaleimide (NPM) was prepared by radical copolymerization and was characterized by FTIR and H-1-NMR spectroscopies and differential scann ing calorimetry (DSC). The monomer reactivity ratios were given as r(1) (OV E) = 0.53-0.57 and r(2) (NPM) = 2.23-2.24 in the copolymerization of OVE an d NPM. The films of poly(OVE-co-NPM)/SAN and poly(OVE-co-NPM)/PVC blends we re cast from N-dimethylformamide. An optical clarity test and DSC analysis showed that poly(OVE-co-NPM)/SAN and poly(OVE-co-NPM)/PVC blends were both miscible over the whole composition range. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.