Abstracts Book - IMRC 2018

• SB1-P092
EFFECT OF THE CONCENTRATION OF 2-ETHYL HEXYL
METHACRYLATE ON THE COPOLYMERIZATION WITH STYRENE BY
THE FREE RADICAL EMULSION POLYMERIZATION PROCESS
Mariana Guadalupe Cacho Aldaco 1 , María de Jesús Palacios 1 , Rosaura Hernández 2 , Lourdes
Adriana Pérez Carrillo 3 , Martín Rabelero 3 , Abraham Gabriel Alvarado Mendoza 4
1
Universidad de Guadalajara, Química, Mexico. 2 Universidad de Guadalajara, Electrónica,
Mexico. 3 Universidad de Guadalajara, Ingeniería Química, Mexico. 4 Universidad de
Guadalajara, Ingeniería Mecánica Eléctrica, Mexico.
Structured polymeric materials in which two or more monomers are combined
in various structures have acquired great interest due to the wide range of
properties that can be obtained. Copolymers are a specific type of these
material, they are defined as macromolecules composed by two or more
different monomers, formed by the simultaneous polymerization of them,
which are joined by covalent bonds 1 . These can be alternated, random, block,
and grafted, among others 2,3 The copolymers can be synthesized by different
methods and processes. However, the process of emulsion polymerization by
free radicals is the most used industrially nowadays due to the obtaining of high
contents of polymers with particle diameters in the order of nanometers 4 . In this
work, copolymers of poly(styrene-co-2 ethyl hexyl methacrylate) P(St-co-2EHMA)
were prepared by emulsion polymerization at different weight ratios of
monomers to evaluate their mechanical properties. Characterizations applied
were: conversion (gravimetry), particle size (DLS), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),
and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Mechanical properties were
modulated by changing the wt. composition ratio 80/20 to 20/80 of St-co-
2EHMA. High conversions (> 90 %) and particles size in the range of 50-100 nm,
were obtained. Also, FTIR and DSC confirmed the random copolymer synthesis
by the characteristic bands and the presence of only one glass transition
temperatures in materials 5 , respectively. Finally, variable mechanical properties
were obtained, according to the composition of the monomers.
Keywords: Emulsion Polymerization, Copolymer, Mechanical properties
Presenting authors email: mrabelero@hotmail.com