Polymer Engineering Faculty Research
Development of Miscible Blends of Bisphenol A Polycarbonate and Lightly Sulfonated Polystyrene Ionomers From Intrapolymer Repulsive Interactions
Abstract
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the phase behavior and interactions of blends of the free acid derivative and lithium and sodium salts of lightly sulfonated polystyrene (MSPS) with Bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC). The blends exhibited upper critical solution temperature (UCST) phase behavior and a miscibility window with respect to the sulfonation level. At a fixed blend composition, a minimum in the cloud point temperature occurs at the sulfonation level marking the middle of the miscibility window. The miscibility window depended on the sulfonate cation used. No interactions involving either the carbonate carbonyl group or the sulfonate groups were detected for any of the blends. Miscibility was attributed to intramolecular repulsive interactions within the ionomer.