| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1398310 | European Polymer Journal | 2012 | 11 Pages |
Poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) has been blended with poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh) and the PPDO/PVPh blends have been investigated using DSC, FTIR and POM. According to the single Tg criterion, miscibility has been found in the whole composition range for the blends obtained by solvent casting from dioxane solutions. The dependence of the Tg on composition shows negative deviation from the Fox equation. The interaction parameter, obtained from melting point depression analysis, χ12 = −1.0, confirms a thermodynamically miscible blend. Specific interactions have been analyzed by FTIR. The OH stretching region of PVPh indicates that upon addition of PPDO the hydroxyl–hydroxyl autoassociation interactions are mainly replaced by hydroxyl–carbonyl interassociation contacts, in detrimental of the possible hydroxyl–ether interactions. The carbonyl stretching region of pure PPDO is sensitive to intramolecular ether-ester interactions occurring in the oxyethanoate structures (–O–CH2–CO–O–) present along the PPDO chain. The –O–CH2–CO–O– structure presents only two minimum energy conformations, trans and cis, resulting in two different absorptions in the CO stretching region located respectively at about 1757 and 1732 cm−1. Blending with PVPh promotes two new contributions red shifted by about 23 cm−1 relative to the “free” CO components. Finally, POM analysis shows that the addition of PVPh to PPDO significantly decreases the crystallization rate of PPDO.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► A miscible blend based on PPDO is reported for the first time: the PPDO/PVPh system. ► The miscibility of PPDO with PVPh has been investigated using DSC, FTIR and POM. ► Most of the interassociation takes place with the carbonyl group of PPDO in detrimental of the ether oxygen. ► A negative Flory–Huggins interaction parameter, has been obtained using melt depression analysis. ► The ether-ester interactions occurring in the oxyethanoate structures (–O–CH2–CO–O–) present in PPDO have been analyzed.
