Immiscible Polymer Blend Compatibilization through Pendant Ionic Interactions
ORAL
Abstract
Polymer blending provides a simple recycling platform for waste commodity plastics, yet its limited applicability is based on the immiscibility between chemically dissimilar polymers that results in macrophase separated and poorly performing materials. Prior theoretical work has suggested that small numbers of ionic interactions can be used for immiscible polymer blend compatibilization. Here, we demonstrate that low levels of incorporation of ionic bonds (1, 7 and 10 mol% pendant functionalization of a polymer backbone) formed via sulfonic acid to imidazole base proton transfer mechanism results in the formation of optically clear blends in an otherwise incompatible poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(n-butyl acrylate) mixture. Oscillatory rheology and small angle X-ray scattering reveal the unique blend viscoelastic and microstructural behavior at various ionic functionalization levels, highlighting the underlying rich physics of immiscible polymer blends with sparse incorporation of charged groups. This work is opening numerous avenues in exploiting ionic interactions as a tool towards alleviating the current plastic waste crisis.
*This work is supported by the National Science Foundation through the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at UC Santa Barbara: NSF DMR–2308708 (IRG-1), and the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, an Army-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center.
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Presenters
Jerrick Edmund
University of California, Santa Barbara
Authors
Jerrick Edmund
University of California, Santa Barbara
Kseniia M Karnaukh
University of California, Santa Barbara
Elizabeth A Murphy
University of California, Santa Barbara
Taejun Eom
University of California, Santa Barbara
Shuyi Xie
University of California, Santa Barbara, Texas A&M University, Chemical Engineering
