Microstructure, Rheology, and Potential Oil Absorbency of Poly(Butyl Methacrylate) and Poly(Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Blends

Abstract

To prepare oil-absorptive polymers with moderate cross-linking structure, poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) was synthesized as a linear hydrophobic polymer by suspension polymerization. In addition, hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), as a monomer, which could construct a network structure among the macromolecules via hydrogen bond interactions, was solution polymerized in dimethylacetamide (DMAc) with PBMA, yielding a polymer blend of PBMA and PHEMA. The solution of the polymer blend was investigated by rotational viscometry and extended rheometry. The results showed that the viscosity varied greatly with the temperature and shear rate for three different compositions. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that an entanglement or interlocking cross-linking structure of molecular chains was constructed by hydrogen bonds. The results from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra exhibited a downfield movement of the proton peak as influenced by end groups or hydroxyls in the polymer chains. The rheological measurements demonstrated that the cross-linking structure greatly affected the rheological behavior of the blend solution. In addition, the cross-linking structure was also evaluated by oil absorbency of films.

Keywords:

• cross-linking structure
• oil absorbency
• polymer blends
• polymethacrylate
• rheology
• semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPN)

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50673077) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51103099) for this work.