Fabrication and properties of poly(polyethylene glycol octadecyl ether methacrylate)

•Poly(polyethylene glycol octadecyl ether methacrylate) was fabricated.•The crystal form of poly(C18E2MMA) is hexagonal crystal system.•Poly(C18E2MMA) is a polymeric phase change material with a high enthalpy.•Poly(C18E2MMA) is thermal stable below 295 °C.

Polyethylene glycol octadecyl ether methacrylate (C18E2MMA) was synthesized using polyethylene glycol octadecyl ether (C18E2) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) as raw materials. Then it was free radical polymerized to form a comb-like polymeric phase change material (PPCM)-poly(polyethylene glycol octadecyl ether methacrylate) (poly(C18E2MMA)). The structure, molecular weight, phase transition behavior, thermal stability and crystallizing properties of poly(C18E2MMA) were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TG), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The results show that, the number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight of poly(C18E2MMA) are 27,993 and 107,702 g mol−1, respectively. The melting and crystallizing enthalpy of poly(C18E2MMA) are 73 and 81 J/g, respectively, which starts to melt at 41.1 °C, and crystallize at 35.4 °C. Poly(C18E2MMA) is thermal stable below 295 °C, which implies the high temperature processing application s, i.e. melt-spun thermo-regulated fiber and coated fabric, etc.