A study on the hydrated acrylic polymers

The effect of chemical composition of copolymers of acrylonitrile (AN) and methylacrylate (MA) on the hydration and thermal transition behaviour was investigated. An increase of the MA content considerably depressed both Tm and Tc of the hydrated polymers. A double melting and crystallization transition behaviour was observed when the hydrated polymer was reheated after cooling from the molten state. The separation between primary and secondary peaks was more notable in the second heating scan than in the first heating scan. A novel solid‐state transition was observed in the dried acrylic polymers which had experienced hydration and melting in the wet state, followed by drying in the open state at 200°C.