Poly(methyl methacrylate) toughened by ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer: Physico-mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties

Blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with different composition viz., 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt % of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer were prepared by extrusion in a corotating twin screw extruder. These prepared PMMA/EVA blends have been characterized for physicomechanical properties such as density, surface hardness, izod impact strength, tensile strength, tensile elongation, and tensile modulus. The chemical aging and heat aging tests were performed on the blends by exposing them to different chemical environments and to 80 degrees C for 168 h respectively. The influence of chemical aging and heat ageing on the mechanical performance of PMMA/EVA blends has been studied. The PMMA/EVA blends were also characterized for thermal properties such as vicat softening point (VSP) and melt flow index (MFI). That means significant improvement in impact strength of PMMA was noticed after incorporation of EVA into PMMA matrix and it lies in the range 19.1-31.96 J/m. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.