Solvent cast blends of PMMA microspheres in bisphenol-A-polycarbonate

Abstract

Transparent films of bisphenol-A-polycarbonate (PC), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres and their blends at various compositions were prepared by solution casting using methylene chloride (MC) as a solvent. The structural, morphological and thermal properties were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. It was obvious that all the characteristic absorption bands could be found in the IR spectra of PC/PMMA blends, but different in the strength. From the SEM images, a co-continue morphology was observed in the PC/PMMA blends when the PMMA content was above 80wt%, indicating the existence of special interaction between PC and PMMA microspheres. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed a single glass transition temperature (T_g) only for 10%PC/90%PMMA blends because of the better dissolution of PC in PMMA than PMMA in PC. Thermogravimetric analysis thermograms showed that the thermal stability of PC/PMMA blends increased with increasing PC content, which was due to the better thermal stability of PC.

Keywords:

• Polycarbonate
• Poly (methyl methacrylate)
• Microspheres
• Morphology
• Thermal

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.