Miscibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(methylmethacrylate-co-zinc polyacrylate) ionomers

A random copolymer of methyl methacrylate and 5.7 mol.% of acrylic acid has been neutralized by zinc cation to different extents in order to study the effect of zinc carboxylate pendant groups on the miscibility of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). The interaction parameter (χ) has been calculated from the experimental depression of the PVDF melting point. χ is minimum at zinc carboxylate content of 2.8 mol.%. The dynamic mechanical analysis of the PVDF-PMMA ionomer binary blends does not agree with the additivity rule of the properties, consistently with the phase morphology that changes with composition. Blends are indeed amorphous as long as the PVDF content does not exceed 40 wt.%, otherwise, semicrystalline PVDF coexists with an amorphous mixed PVDF/copolymer phase.