POS2-1368
One-Pot Synthesis of Ternary PMMA/PBA/Block Copolymer Blend for Transparent Toughened PMMA
Topic
S2. High-End Characterization/Polymer Physics/Properties
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
JongWook Ahn (Pusan national university)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) exhibits excellent transparency but suffers from inherent brittleness, limiting its practical applications. The conventional industrial approach, which incorporates 10 to 30 wt% core-shell acrylic rubber particles prepared by emulsion polymerization, involves complex multi-step processes and inevitably compromises tensile strength. Conversely, simple physical blending of PMMA and poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) results in macroscopic phase separation, leading to severe opacity.
In this study, we propose a novel approach using a dual-functional initiator containing both azo and peroxyester groups within a single molecule, enabling one-pot sequential radical polymerization that generates a ternary blend comprising PMMA, PBA, and an in situ-formed PMMA-b-PBA block copolymer. A PBA macroinitiator is first synthesized through azo activation at 70 °C, followed by MMA polymerization via peroxyester activation at 120 °C. Three compositions with different MMA:BA weight ratios (95:5, 90:10, and 85:15) were prepared by varying the MMA feeding amount in the second stage.
In contrast to a physical blend of identical composition (PMMA:PBA = 90:10, w/w), which exhibited a transmittance of only 35%, the Dual-9010 sample maintained 91% optical transparency, highlighting the robust compatibilizing effect of the in situ-formed block copolymer. The Dual-9505 sample showed a 6.9-fold enhancement in toughness, a 1.27-fold increase in tensile strength, and a 4.1-fold improvement in elongation at break compared to neat PMMA, while retaining 90% optical transparency. These results demonstrate that the classical strength-toughness and toughness-transparency trade-offs in rubber-toughened PMMA can be simultaneously overcome within a single system.
This work presents a simple one-pot free radical polymerization approach for producing transparent and toughened PMMA
In this study, we propose a novel approach using a dual-functional initiator containing both azo and peroxyester groups within a single molecule, enabling one-pot sequential radical polymerization that generates a ternary blend comprising PMMA, PBA, and an in situ-formed PMMA-b-PBA block copolymer. A PBA macroinitiator is first synthesized through azo activation at 70 °C, followed by MMA polymerization via peroxyester activation at 120 °C. Three compositions with different MMA:BA weight ratios (95:5, 90:10, and 85:15) were prepared by varying the MMA feeding amount in the second stage.
In contrast to a physical blend of identical composition (PMMA:PBA = 90:10, w/w), which exhibited a transmittance of only 35%, the Dual-9010 sample maintained 91% optical transparency, highlighting the robust compatibilizing effect of the in situ-formed block copolymer. The Dual-9505 sample showed a 6.9-fold enhancement in toughness, a 1.27-fold increase in tensile strength, and a 4.1-fold improvement in elongation at break compared to neat PMMA, while retaining 90% optical transparency. These results demonstrate that the classical strength-toughness and toughness-transparency trade-offs in rubber-toughened PMMA can be simultaneously overcome within a single system.
This work presents a simple one-pot free radical polymerization approach for producing transparent and toughened PMMA
