J Pak Mater Soc 2009 3 (1)

XRD STUDY OF BINARY POLYMER BLEND OF PMMA/PVAC

Mohammad Saleem Khan, Uzma Khalil and Gulfam Nasar
NCE in Physical Chemistry, Peshawar University, Pakistan.
* Corresponding author

Abstract
Blending polymers is an economic method to develop new polymeric materials.
Commonly, the final properties of the blend depend on the properties of its polymeric
components, its composition, and mainly on the miscibility of the polymers. Poly(methylmethacrylate) and Poly(Vinyl Acetate) are very useful polymers in everyday life. A binary
blend of PMMA/PVAc was prepared by solution casting techniques using chloroform as a
solvent. The blend system was characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). X-ray
diffraction patterns of binary blends of different composition were studied and discussed in
this study.
Key words: PMMA, PVAc, blend, XRD.
1. Introduction
In the search for new polymeric materials,
either new monomers are polymerized or
co-polymerization techniques are used to
tailor make a new product. An alternative
method has been to blend existing
polymers. Mixing together of two or more
different polymers or co-polymers is known
as blending. Blending is a process
somewhat similar to compounding. In a
polymer blend, the constituent polymers are
usually present in significant weight or
volume proportions with respect to each
other, but seldom in equal proportions [1].
An obvious advantage of this approach is
that it requires little or no extra capital
expenditure relative to new polymers. It is
also possible to produce a range of
materials with properties completely
different from those of the blend
constituents [2]. The rapid increase in the
use of blends is one of the most important
features of the polymer industry over the
last few years.

More recently, considerable research effort

in polymer blends and alloys in both
academia and industry has led to a
mushrooming growth of the patent and
scientific literature. A number of book
reviews and conferences proceedings
covering all aspects of the preparation,
phase behaviour and applications of
different types of blends have been
established.
The miscibility between the constituents of
the polymer mixture is an important factor
in the development of new materials based
on polymeric blends. Miscibility is defined
as the ability to be mixed at molecular level
to produce one homogenous mixture [2].
The majority of known polymeric mixtures
are immiscible; however, several miscible
blends have been found in the last three
decades. Polymer-polymer miscibility has
been extensively studied by several
techniques like FTIR spectroscopy [3], XRD
[4]
, scanning electron microscopy [5], NMR [6]

Mohammad Saleem Khan, Uzma Khalil and Gulfam Nasar: XRD Study of Binary.

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J Pak Mater Soc 2009 3 (1)

( a)

(b)

( c)

(d)

( e)

(f)

Figur e 1. XRD pattern f rom a) pu re PMMA, b) PMMA /PVAc (1 0/90), c) ( 30/70), d) (50/50), e ) (70/30) a nd f) (90 /10) .

Mohammad Saleem Khan, Uzma Khalil and Gulfam Nasar: XRD Study of Binary.

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J Pak Mater Soc 2009 3 (1)

and dilute solution viscometry (DSV) [7-20].

In the present study, XRD of common
polymers like PMMA and PVAc was
undertaken to study the miscibility of such
blends. There are very few reports
available in the literature about the use of
XRD in determining miscibility. In the
present paper we report XRD of these
blends.
2. Experimental
The polymers used in this work were Poly
(methyl methacrylate) PMMA and Poly
(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). PMMA of low
molecular weight was obtained from BDH
Chemicals Ltd.
England whereas PVAc with molecular
weight 51,000 gmol-1 was obtained from
Aldrich Chemicals Ltd. Germany. All these
polymers were used as such without further
purification. Analytical grade chloroform
supplied by Merck, Germany was also used
as such without further purification.
Weighing was done on AND HR200 type
balance. The blend samples were prepared
by mixing the appropriate amount of
polymer in a common solvent i.e.
chloroform.
3. XRD Analysis
A Rigaku (Japan) FX Gieger Series RAD-B
system was used for x-ray diffraction
measurements at the National Centre of
Excellence in Geology, University of
Peshawar (Pakistan). Polymeric samples
were placed on a standard glass sample
holder. They were then placed into the xray generating chamber under acceleration
voltage of 35 kV and a current of 20
mA.The sample was scanned from 10 to 40
degrees 2.
4. XRD analysis of PMMA/PVAc binary blend
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis is a
useful tool in determining the structure and

crystallization of polymer matrices. XRD

pattern of pure PMMA is shown in Figure 1.
The diffraction patterns of PMMA/PVAc
(10/90), (30/70), (50/50), (70/30) and
(90/10) are shown Figures 2a-f. The XRD
pattern of the pure PMMA shows that it has
a semi crystalline nature, which is in good
agreement with the results reported earlier
[4]
. The XRD pattern of pure PVAc is shown
to have low crystallinity or amorphous
nature [4]. The XRD patterns of the binary
blends of PMMA/PVAc of the various
compositions show that as the amount of
the PMMA in the blend increases,
crystallinity increases and reaches a
maximum in the last composition i.e.
PMMA/PVAc (90/10).
Conclusion
The semi crystalline nature of PMMA is
destroyed by the addition of PVAc as we go
from low concentration of PVAc to high
concentration
in
binary
blend
of
PMMA/PVAc. The changes in the XRD
patterns of these films clearly indicate that
the coordination between the components
of the blend is consistent with the previous
studies [21]. The decrease in crystallinity is
an indication of miscibility.
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