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Strength and structure of glassy networks formed from dimethacrylates
Author(s) -
Atsuta M.,
Turner D. T.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760220708
Subject(s) - materials science , comonomer , composite material , flexural strength , methyl methacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , polymer , polymerization , brittleness , copolymer , deformation (meteorology) , triethylene glycol , polymer chemistry , methacrylic acid
Glassy networks were formed by copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with both ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TGDM). The polymerization reaction was followed by estimation of vinyl group concentration from measurements of specific volume and infrared absorption. The sheets of polymer were cracked but gave fragments that were large enough to provide specimens suitable for a three‐point bending test. Flexural strength decreased with increasing feed of dimethacrylate but, nevertheless, gave fairly strong products throughout the range of comonomer compositions c.f. PMMA, 144 ± 9 MPa; PTGDM, 132 ± 10 MPa; PEGDM, 66 ± 15 MPa. Examination of fracture surfaces indicated a predominantly brittle mode of fracture modulated by localized plastic deformation. In order to account for localized plastic deformation, it was postulated that the networks consist of highly crosslinked microgel particles in a much less crosslinked matrix.