Issue 54, 2021

Preparation of core/shell organic–inorganic hybrid polymer nanoparticles and their application to toughening poly(methyl methacrylate)

Abstract

On account of the utility of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as a glass substitute, toughening of PMMA has attracted significant attention. Brittle failure can often be avoided by incorporating a small fraction of filler particles. Core–shell composite particles composed of a rubbery core and a glassy shell have recently attracted interest as a toughening agent for brittle polymers. Here, core/shell organic–inorganic hybrid polymer nanoparticles (Si-ASA HPNs) with a silicone-modified butyl acrylate copolymer (PBA) core and a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) shell were used to toughen PMMA. Silicone plays dual roles as a compatibilizer and a chain extender, and it not only improves interfacial adhesion between the PBA particles and SAN copolymer, but it also increases chain entanglement of poly(acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate) (ASA). The mechanical properties of the PMMA/ASA alloys strongly depend on the Si content, and the impact strength and elongation at break greatly improve when silicone-modified ASA is added. However, this is accompanied by loss of rigidity. Specifically, the PMMA/ASA-2 composite exhibits a good balance between toughness and rigidity, indicating that ASA-2 with 5 wt% KH570 is the most suitable impact modifier. This research provides a facile and practical method to overcome the shortcomings of ASA and promote its application in a wider range of fields.

Graphical abstract: Preparation of core/shell organic–inorganic hybrid polymer nanoparticles and their application to toughening poly(methyl methacrylate)

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 May 2021
Accepted
24 Sep 2021
First published
20 Oct 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2021,11, 34036-34047

Preparation of core/shell organic–inorganic hybrid polymer nanoparticles and their application to toughening poly(methyl methacrylate)

J. Xia, X. Luo, J. Huang, J. Ma and J. Yang, RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 34036 DOI: 10.1039/D1RA03880J

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