Effect of interfacial crosslinking on miscibility behavior between isocyanate-functionalized poly(n-butyl methacrylate) particles and carboxylic alkali-soluble resin

The effect of interfacial crosslinking on miscibility behavior in blend systems of isocyanate-functionalized poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and a carboxylic alkali-soluble resin, poly(styrene/alpha-methylstyrene/acrylic acid) (SAA), was studied with different dimethyl meta-isopropenyl benzyl isocyanate (TMI) concentrations. For the blend films of pure PBMA and SAA, both theoretical analysis and direct observation showed immiscibility between PBMA and SAA. For the blend systems of isocyanated PBMA and SAA, Fourier transform infrared spectra and gel permeation chromatography analyses qualitatively showed the crosslinking between the isocyanate group in isocyanated PBMA and the carboxylic group in SAA. Two tan δ peaks were shown in the blend system of SAA and isocyanated PBMA containing low concentrations of TMI (from 0 to 5 wt %), and the span of the two peaks became shorter as the TMI concentration increased. For a high TMI concentration (7 wt %), only one tan 5 peaks was observed. This result means the interfacial crosslinking between isocyanated PBMA and SAA occurred fully, and thus the miscibility between two polymers was significantly improved. As these results showed, the tensile strength of the blend film of isocyanated PBMA and SAA was higher than that of pure PBMA and SAA.