Evaluation of thermal and physical properties of PMMA/PMVEMA-ES blends as organic coating

Purpose In this work, the blends of poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA and poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid monoethyl ester), PMVEMA-ES are studied as organic coatings to evaluate the impact of intermolecular hydrogen bonding on the physical and thermal characteristics of the prepared coatings. Design/methodology/approach PMMA (Mw = 120,000 g mol-1) was chosen as our binder material. Due to the low adhesion property of PMMA on polar substrates, it was blended with PMVEMA-ES, which contains polar –COOH groups, to improve the adhesion and thermal properties of the coatings by forming intermolecular hydrogen bonds. A cross-hatch adhesion test was carried out to evaluate the adhesion strength of different ratios of PMMA/PMVEMA-ES blends as coatings. In addition, changes in the glass-transition temperature, Tg as the composition varies were studied using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, DSC. Then, glossiness and hiding power tests were also conducted to evaluate the physical properties of the prepared coatings. Findings Upon a closer look at the DSC results, it was found that blends consisting of 12.5, 25.0 and 87.5 wt. % PMMA were completely compatible due to the presence of only a single Tg in their thermograms. Other blend compositions showed two distinct Tgs, indicating partial compatibility. Furthermore, the addition of PMVEMA-ES caused the Tg of PMMA to shift to lower temperatures, a strong indication of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between the two components. From the cross-hatch adhesion results, the addition of PMVEMA-ES improved the adhesion properties of PMMA coating, except for blends consisting of 62.5 and 75.0 wt. % PMMA possibly due to the partial incompatibility between the two components. These findings were further corroborated with the results of glossiness and hiding power measurements. The superior result was seen for the blend consisting of 12.5 wt. % PMMA with strong adhesion property, high glossiness, compatibility and high translucency. Practical implications PMVEMA-ES can potentially be used as an adhesion promoter in PMMA-based coating formulations. Originality/value This is the first report on the properties of PMMA/PMVEMA-ES blends as coatings.