Self-association effects on phase behavior and thermal properties of poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid)/poly(butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) blends

Blends based on poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid) containing 11 or 27 mol % of itaconic acid (PSIA11, PSIA27) and poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) containing 26 or 37 mol% of 4-vinylpyridine (PBM4VP26, PBM4VP37) were prepared. Their phase behavior and thermal properties were investigated by several techniques. Specific interactions that occurred between these copolymers were evidenced by FTIR from the appearance of characteristic new bands. The different Tg-composition behaviors of these systems evidenced by DSC and interpreted in terms of different types and strength of interactions that occurred within these blends, were analyzed by Kwei and “BCKV” (Brostow, Chiu, Kalogeras, Vassilikou-Dova) approaches. The positive deviation from the weight average of their constituent Tg’s, observed with the PSIA11/PBM4VP26 and PSIA11/PBM4VP37 systems, is due to the presence of strong specific interactions that occurred within this system while the practically similar S shaped curves obtained with PSIA27/PBM4VP26 and PSIA27/PBM4VP37 blends indicate that, due to self-association of carboxylic groups within PSIA27, a reduced number of efficient specific interactions occurred within these blends even though containing relatively higher amounts of interacting species. A thermogravimetric analysis confirmed improved thermal stability of these blends over the individual copolymers.