Pseudo interpenetrating polymer networks and interpenetrating polymer networks of zeolite 13 X and polystyrene and poly(ethyl acrylate)

Free-radical polymerization of liquid styrene and ethyl acrylate with or without ethylene dimethacrylate crosslinker in the presence of zeolite 13 X produces interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN's) or pseudo IPN's in which polymer chains have grown and filled internal pores of the zeolite. A variety of methods of characterization including, solubility studies, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), C-13 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) provide supporting evidence for this. The polymer chains within the internal pores do not exhibit a bulk glass transition. This si part of a larger study of the glass transition of polymers confined to cavities or pores of various sizes.