Effect of methacrylic acid:Methyl methacrylate monomer ratios on polymerization rates and properties of polymethyl methacrylates

Five binary formulations were prepared from methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) monomers, and six ternary formulations were prepared from polysols of 30% wt polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/MMA and MAA. Using thermal analyses (DSC and TGA) the polymerization kinetics, condition of postcuring, relative amount of residual monomers, and glass transition temperature (Tg) were determined. From bar-shaped samples, 25 x 5 x 0.9 mm in dimensions, mechanical properties [flexural moduli (E) and maximum strengths (sigma)] were measured in three-point bending. Polymerization kinetics of binary formulations improved over pure PMMA (from 15 to 4 min) as a result of over a 60-fold increase in propagation-to-termination constants (Kp/Kt) of MAA/MMA. The further addition of PMMA increased the viscosity, slowed down termination, and, consequently, improved the polymerization kinetics twofold. These enhancements occurred without a substantive change in the Tg of the ternary system (ca. 107 degrees C) over pure PMMA (ca. 112 degrees C). Moreover, the Es of the four ternary formulations averaged 2.94 GPa, which was comparable with many values reported in the literature. In contrast the sigma s of these same formulations averaged 97 MPa, which was about 25% better than earlier investigations of pure acrylic. When a thermoplastic material is required for pultruding profiles that cure fast and have good thermal-mechanical properties, ternaries of PMMA/MMA/MAA should be considered.