Dynamic Mechanical Studies of the Sulfonated Butyl Rubber Ionomers and Their Blends

Abstract

Dynamic mechanical properties of sulfonated butyl rubber ionomers neutralized with different amine or metallic ion (zinc or barium) and their blends with polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) triblock copolymer were studied using viscoelastometry. The results showed that glass transition temperatures of ion pair–containing matrix and ionic domains (T _g1 and T _g2, respectively) of amine-neutralized ionomers were lower than those of ionomers neutralized with metallic ions, and the temperature range of the rubbery plateau on the storage modulus plot for amine-neutralized ionomers was narrower. The modulus of the rubbery plateau for amine-neutralized ionomers was lower than that of ionomers neutralized with zinc or barium ion. With increasing size of the amine, the temperature range for the rubbery plateau decreased, and the height of the loss peak at higher temperature increased. Dynamic mechanical properties of blends of the zinc ionomer with PP or HDPE showed that, with decreasing ionomer content, the T _m of PP or HDPE increased and T _g1 decreased, whereas T _g2 or the upper loss peak temperature changed only slightly. The T _g1 for the blend with SBS also decreased with decreasing ionomer content. The decrease of T _g1 is attributed to the enhanced compatibilization of the matrix of the ionomer-containing ion pairs with amorphous regions of PP or HDPE or the continuous phase of SBS due to the formation of thermoplastic interpenetrating polymer networks by ionic domains and crystalline or glassy domains.

Keywords:

• Blend
• Butyl rubber
• Dynamic mechanical property
• Ionomer

ACKNOWLEDGEDMENT

NNSFC of China is acknowledged.