Substituted styrenes–maleic anhydride copolymers—Measurements of the reactivity ratios with high conversions and relations between molecular masses and viscosity

Three substituted styrenes were respectively synthesized by reaction of benzoic acid, acetic acid, and methanol with vinylbenzylchloride, then copolymerized with maleic anhydride. The measurements of the reactivity ratios of these three copolymerizations were carried out with a method using high conversions of the reactions. The results show a good correlation between a linear alternating structure for one of the copolymers and an alternating and a partially crosslinked structure for the two others. The copolymerizations were also performed with various percentages of initiator, giving similar proportions of incorporated monomers in the resulting products, and a relation between their viscosities and their weight molecular masses was presented. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 1447–1454, 1999     

Covalent immobilization of bovine serum albumin onto (maleic anhydride–alt‐methyl vinyl ether) copolymers

The covalent immobilization of bovin serum albumin (BSA) onto maleic anhydride‐alt‐methyl vinyl ether copolymers (MAMVE) was successfully achieved under aqueous conditions. The grafting reaction was shown to be controlled by attractive electrostatic interactions and so took place at a low salt concentration. Under these conditions, the covalent binding reaction was quite efficient, reproducible, and complete within 20 min. The maximum loading capacity of the polymer was of 20 BSA molecules per polymer chain. This preliminary study demonstrated that the immobilization of proteins in an aqueous medium could be an efficient process, despite the existing hydrolysis of the functional polymer by water molecules. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 1565–1572, 1999     

DMC催化马来酸酐与环氧丙烷开环共聚行为类型及动力学的研究

研究了双金属氰化络合物（DMC）催化剂催化马来酸酐（MAn）与环氧丙烷（PO）开环共聚行为类型及动力学特征.用IR和1H-NMR表征了共聚物结构,结果表明MAn单体在DMC催化剂催化下不能开环均聚合,聚合为交替共聚.开环共聚合行为类型研究表明,以DMC催化剂催化MAn-PO开环共聚合中,PO单体竞聚率r1〉0、MAn单体竞聚率r2=0,进一步证明此聚合为交替共聚.以共聚行为类型为依据,对聚合动力学进行了研究,结果表明：共聚合反应动力学方程式为Rp=K[C][M],聚合反应速率与单体浓度及催化剂浓度均成一次方关系.     

Use of maleic anhydride–grafted polyethylene as compatibilizer for HDPE–tapioca starch blends: Effects on mechanical properties

Tapioca starch in both glycerol‐plasticized and in unplasticized states was blended with high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) using HDPE‐g‐maleic anhydride as the compatibilizer. The impact and tensile properties of the blends were measured according to ASTM methods. The results reveal that blends containing plasticized starch have better mechanical properties than those containing unplasticized starch. High values of elongation at break at par with those of virgin HDPE could be obtained for blends, even with high loading of plasticized starch. Morphological studies by SEM microscopy of impact‐fractured specimens of such blends revealed a ductile fracture, unlike blends with unplasticized starch at such high loadings, which showed brittle fracture, even with the addition of compatibilizer. In general, blends of HDPE and plasticized starch with added compatibilizer show better mechanical properties than similar blends containing unplasticized starch. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 863–872, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of alkali‐modified styrene‐maleic anhydride copolymer for dispersion of TiO2

A copolymer of styrene and maleic anhydride was synthesized by free radical polymerization at 80°C using N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent and benzoylperoxide as initiator. The monomer feed ratio of styrene to maleic anhydride was varied in the range of 1 : 1 : to 3 : 1. The polymer yield was found to decrease with increase in styrene in the feed. The molecular weight of copolymers which were formed by taking styrene to maleic anhydride ratio of 1 : 1, 2 : 1, and 3 : 1, as determined by Ostwald Viscometery were about 1862, 2015, and 2276 respectively. The acid values of abovementioned three copolymers were found to be 480, 357, and 295, respectively. The typical viscosity values of 20% solids in ammonical solution of copolymers formed by taking feed ratios of Sty : MAn as 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 were 26 and 136 cp, respectively. For the feed ratio 3 : 1, a gel was formed. The synthesized copolymers were hydrolyzed by alkalis, namely, NaOH, KOH, and NH₄OH. The dispersing ability of hydrolyzed styrene‐maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymers for dispersion of titanium dioxide was studied. The modified SMA copolymers were found to be effective dispersants for TiO₂. Among the three alkalis studied, the Sodium salts of SMA were found to give better dispersion. The copolymer having a 1 : 1 feed ratio showed the best dispersing ability for TiO₂ particles among the three ratios studied. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3194–3205, 2007     

Preparation and characterization of polyethylene‐g‐maleic anhydride–styrene/montmorillonite nanocomposites

It is difficult to prepare polyethylene/montmorillonite by direct melt mixing because of the difference in character between polyethylene and montmorillonite. Therefore, it is necessary to modify polyethylene with polar groups, which can increase the hydrophilicity of polyethylene. At the same time, the inorganic montmorillonite should be modified with long‐chain alkyl ammonium to increase the basing space between the interlayers. Thus, through the grafting of the polar monomer onto the main chain of polyethylene by reactive extrusion, polyethylene/montmorillonite nanocomposites can be prepared by the melt mixing of the grafter and organic montmorillonite. Fourier transform infrared has been used to prove that the monomers are grafted onto polyethylene. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy have been employed to characterize the nanocomposites. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis measurements show that the thermal stability of the nanocomposites is improved in comparison with that of the virgin materials. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 805–809, 2006     

Preparation and characterization of nano‐CaCO3 encapsulated by copolymerization of styrene and maleic anhydride

Encapsulated nanometer calcium carbonate (nano‐CaCO₃) was prepared using styrene and maleic anhydride (MAH) copolymer in 2‐propanol or methanol–water mixture in the presence of different initiator systems. The particle morphology and physical properties of the encapsulated nano‐CaCO₃ particles, such as the interaction between the encapsulating polymer and the nano‐CaCO₃, and the thermal stability of encapsulated nano‐CaCO₃ were studied by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Soxhlet extraction experiments, thermogravimetric analysis banded with FTIR (TGA‐FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The encapsulating ratio and the stable encapsulating ratio of encapsulated nano‐CaCO₃ were characterized. The results showed that a strong interfacial interaction was obtained due to the formation of a chemical bond or ion‐dipole between the C?O group of MAH and Ca²⁺ ion of nano‐CaCO₃. The encapsulating ratio and stable encapsulating ratio of nano‐CaCO₃ initiated by AIBN was higher than that initiated by BPO. Addition of maleic anhydride increased the encapsulating ratio and the stable encapsulating ratio of encapsulated nano‐CaCO₃. For the encapsulated nano‐CaCO₃ prepared in methanol–water, the diameter of the encapsulated nano‐CaCO₃ particle increased from 60–70 nm to about 100 nm and the morphology changed from a cube with a sharp edge to spherical with a rough surface. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Blends of bisphenol A polycarbonate and rubber‐toughened styrene–maleic anhydride copolymers

The morphology and mechanical properties of polycarbonate (PC) blends with rubber‐toughened styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer materials (TSMA) were investigated and compared with the properties of blends of PC with acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) materials. The PC/TSMA blends showed similar composition dependence of properties as the comparable PC/ABS blends. Polycarbonate blends with TSMA exhibited higher notched Izod impact toughness than pure PC under sharp‐notched conditions but the improvements are somewhat less than observed for similar blends with ABS. Since PC is known for its impact toughness except under sharp‐notched conditions, this represents a significant advantage of the rubber‐modified blends. PC blends with styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA) were compared to those with a styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN). The trends in blend morphology and mechanical properties were found to be qualitatively similar for the two types of copolymers. PC/SMA blends are nearly transparent or slightly pearlescent. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1508–1515, 1999     

Synthesis and Biocompatibility of Maleic Anhydride Copolymers: 1. Maleic Anhydride–Vinyl Acetate,Maleic Anhydride–Methyl Methacrylate and Maleic Anhydride–Styrene

A series of maleic anhydride (MA)–vinyl acetate (VA), MA–methyl methacrylate (MM) and MA–styrene (S) copolymers were prepared and characterized. By employing various amounts of initiator, MA–VA, MA–MM and MA–S copolymers with molecular weights ranging between 18 000 and 219 000 were obtained. The ‘in vivo’ and ‘in vitro’ tests performed on K562 cellular cultures (human chronic myeloid leukaemia) and also on Westar rats (inoculated with the Walker 256 carcinosarcome) showed that, as a function of the molecular weight, the copolymers synthesized had a 50% in vitro cytotoxicity and a mean tumour regression of a maximum of 68%. © 1997 SCI.     

Synthesis,characterization, and antitumor activity of poly(maleic anhydride‐co‐vinyl acetate‐co‐acrylic acid)

The ternary copolymerization of maleic anhydride (MA), vinyl acetate (VA), and acrylic acid (AA) [P(MA‐co‐VA‐co‐AA)], which is considered to be an acceptor–donor–acceptor system, was carried out in 1,4‐dioxane with benzoyl peroxide as an initiator at 70°C under a nitrogen atmosphere. Constants of complex formation for the monomer systems in the study were determined by UV–visible (hydrogen‐bonding complex) and ¹H‐NMR (charge transfer complex) methods, respectively. The results show that polymerization of the P(MA‐co‐VA‐co‐AA) system proceeds by an alternating terpolymerization mechanism. It is shown that the synthesized copolymers have typical polyelectrolyte behavior, ability for reversible hydrolysis–anhydrization reactions, and semicrystalline structures. In these cases, including radical polymerization, and formation of semicrystalline structures, the hydrogen‐bonding effect plays a significant role. The in vitro cytotoxicities of the synthesized terpolymer and alternating copolymer were evaluated using Raji cells (human Burkitt lymphoma cell line). The antitumor activities of prepared anion‐active copolymers were studied using methyl–thiazol–tetrazolium colorimetric assay and 50% of the cytotoxic dose of each copolymer and terpolymer were calculated. Hydrolyzed P(MA‐co‐VA‐co‐AA) and P(MA‐alt‐AA) copolymers have sufficiently high antitumor activity, which depends on the amount of hydrogen‐bonding carboxylic groups and their regular distribution in the side chain of functional macromolecules. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3425–3432, 2006     

Thermal properties of poly(maleic anhydride‐alt‐acrylic acid) in the presence of certain metal chlorides

Polychelates were synthesized by the addition of aqueous solutions of copper(II), cadmium(II), and nickel(II) chlorides to aqueous solutions of poly(maleic anhydride‐alt‐acrylic acid) [poly(MA‐alt‐AA)] in different pH media. The thermal properties of poly(MA‐alt‐AA) and its metal complexes were investigated with thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The polychelates showed higher thermal stability than poly(MA‐alt‐AA). The thermogravimetry of the polymer–metal complexes revealed variations of the thermal stability by complexation with metal ions. The relative thermal stabilities of the systems under investigation were as follows: poly(MA‐alt‐AA)–Cd(II) > poly(MA‐alt‐AA)–Cu(II) > poly(MA‐alt‐AA)–Ni(II) > poly(MA‐alt‐AA). The effects of pH on the complexation and gravimetric analysis of the polychelates were also studied. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3926–3930, 2006     

Covalent immobilization of biological molecules to maleic anhydride and methyl vinyl ether copolymers—A physico‐chemical approach

The covalent grafting of biological molecules to copolymers of maleic anhydride and methyl vinyl ether (MAMVE) has been used in various applications in diagnostics. To tentatively elucidate the phenomena involved in the control of the immobilization of oligodeoxynucleotides and proteins, the physico‐chemical properties of MAMVE copolymers were investigated. Because the grafting mixture contains water, to allow dissolution of the biomolecules without loss of biological properties, the anhydride‐based copolymer evolves from a neutral to a negatively charged macromolecule due to hydrolysis of the anhydride moities. The properties of both hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed polymers were investigated. As demonstrated by light‐scattering measurements in batch, the copolymers showed some level of aggregation in DMF, DMSO, and aqueous DMSO. The presence of aggregates was confirmed by size‐exclusion chromatography in DMF. However, partial deaggregation occurred for the lowest molecular weight sample, on adding 1% w/v of LiBr. The nonhydrolyzed copolymers exhibited a rigid conformation in a 5% water/DMSO mixture, as well as their hydrolyzed counterpart at a low ionization degree. The rate of the hydrolysis reaction was shown to be dependent on the pH of the reaction medium and on temperature. The activation energy of the hydrolysis reaction was 14 kJ/mol, and the rate constant in the order of 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹. On the basis of these data, the effect on the grafting reaction of biomolecules of different parameters such as ionic strength and the nature of the solvent, along with some other results were interpreted in terms of interactions between the synthetic and bioactive macromolecules. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 927–936, 1999     

Preparation and characterization of composites: Ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer‐graft‐maleic anhydride/CaCO3

In this paper, a new method was applied to form crosslinking networks in the ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM) matrix with calcium carbonate(CaCO₃) particles, which were chemically treated by maleic anhydride (MAH). The tensile test showed that the tensile strength and the elongation at break of the composites were improved significantly, and when the content of CaCO₃ was about 20 wt % in the composites, the maximum tensile properties were achieved. The results of swell and solution text showed that the composites had evident crosslinking structure. The results of attenuated transmission reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectrum proved that the Acid‐Base reaction between CaCO₃ and MAH had happened. SEM micrographs showed that the interfacial adhesion between CaCO₃ and copolymer was well. The thermogravimetric analysis curves showed that the composites had a new change in mass between 655 and 700°C, which might be the decomposition temperature of calcium maleicate. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1810–1815, 2006     

Peroxide‐initiated comonomer grafting of styrene and maleic anhydride onto polyethylene: Effect of polyethylene microstructure

Maleic anhydride has been grafted onto various polyethylenes (PEs) using 2,5‐dimethyl‐2,5‐(di‐t‐butylperoxy)hexane as a free radical initiator in the presence of styrene as a comonomer. Three polyethylenes, differing systematically in their levels of terminal unsaturation and branching, were selected to investigate the effect of these microstructural characteristics on the course of both grafting and crosslinking. It was observed that when polyethylenes containing high levels of terminal unsaturation were reacted in the presence of peroxide or peroxide–maleic anhydride, crosslinking events were enhanced. When styrene was added as comonomer to the reaction medium to eliminate these undesirable side reactions, crosslinking was still observed with those polyethylenes that contained a high concentration of terminal unsaturation. This is attributed to a low reactivity between styrene and the allylic radical generated on the polyethylene backbone, which is believed to be responsible for the increased crosslinking. However, in the presence of high concentrations of styrene, crosslinking was eliminated for PEs containing high degrees of branching. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 96–107, 2001     

Kinetics and simulation of the imidization of poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) with amines

The imidization of poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) with amines may improve some of its end‐use properties. The objective of this study was to examine the mechanism and kinetics with aniline (ANL) as an amine of the preparation of poly(styrene‐co‐N‐phenyl maleimide). The reaction was carried out in a tetrahydrofuran solution at 25–55°C and in an ethylbenzene solution at 85–120°C. The extent of the reaction was determined by conductance titration, a new and simple method. Two consecutive reactions were involved in the imidization: ring opening to produce an acido‐amide group and ring closing to form a corresponding imide group. The imidization rate was greatly influenced by the reaction temperature and the molar ratio of ANL to the anhydride. A model for the imidization kinetics over a wide range of reaction temperatures and concentration ranges was developed and validated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2744–2749, 2006     

Study on esterification of acrylic phenolic resin by maleic anhydride and photocrosslinking properties of the alkali‐soluble product

An alkali‐soluble, photocrosslinkable polymer was synthesized by esterification of OH groups of acrylic phenolic resin with maleic anhydride. The OH groups were formed by the ring‐opening reaction of epoxy groups of epoxy phenolic resin with acrylic acid. The esterification conditions were studied. The results showed that it is better to use tetramethyl ammonium bromide as catalyst than N,N‐dimethylbenzylamine. The conversion of maleic anhydride in acetone can reach about 80% at 56°C for 4 h. The purified product was characterized by IR, DSC, and TGA. The product containing acrylate and maleic acid monoester groups, above a certain content, can be dissolved in 1% Na₂CO₃ solution. The photocrosslinkable properties of the product were investigated through selection of photoinitiator, accelarator, crosslinkable diluent monomer, etc. The acrylate and maleic acid monoester group‐containing phenolic resin exhibited very good photocrosslinking behavior, since it contains double bonds from both acrylate groups and maleic acid monoester groups. The activity of photoinitiator decreases in the order: isopropylthioanthraquinone > benzoin ethyl ether (BE) > anthraquinone (AQ) > benzophenone > Michel ketone (MK) > 2,2‐diethoxyacetophenone. The combination of some photoinitiators showed synergistic effects. The order of increasing activity for the accelerator is as follows: MK > ethyl p‐(dimethylamino)benzoate > N,N‐dimethylaniline > triethanolamine. The optimum diluent monomer is trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. The gel content of the mixture of the resin and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate could reach 85% using the combined photoinitiators of BE and AQ under UV exposure for 120 s. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1607–1614, 2005     

Mechanical property and morphology comparison between the two blends poly(propylene)/ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer elastomer and poly(propylene)/maleic anhydride‐g‐ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer

The comparison of the mechanical properties between poly(propylene)/ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer elastomer (PP/EPDM) and poly(propylene)/maleic anhydride‐g‐ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer [PP/MEPDM (MAH‐g‐EPDM)] showed that the latter blend has noticeably higher Izod impact strength but lower Young's modulus than the former one. Phase morphology of the two blends was examined by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, indicating that the miscibility of PP/MEPDM was inferior to PP/EPDM. The poor miscibility of PP/MEPDM degrades the nucleation effectiveness of the elastomer on PP. The observations of the impact fracture mode of the two blends and the dispersion state of the elastomers, determined by scanning electron microscopy, showed that PP/EPDM fractured in a brittle mode, whereas PP/MEPDM in a ductile one, and that a finer dispersion of MEPDM was found in the blend PP/MEPDM. These observations indicate that the difference in the dispersion state of elastomer between PP/EPDM and PP/MEPDM results in different fracture modes, and thereby affects the toughness of the two blends. The finer dispersion of MEPDM in the blend of PP/MEPDM was attributed to the part cross‐linking of MEPDM resulting from the grafting reaction of EPDM with maleic anhydride (MAH) in the presence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 2486–2491, 2002     

Modification of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer by grafting with maleic anhydride in the melt. I. Preparation and characterization

The graft copolymerization of maleic anhydride (MAH) onto acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer (ABS) was carried out with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as the binary initiators and with styrene as the comonomer in the molten state. IR spectra confirmed that MAH was successfully grafted onto the ABS backbone. A reaction mechanism was proposed: the grafting most likely took place through the addition of MAH radicals to the double bond of the butadiene region of ABS. Influences such as the MAH concentration, the initiators and their concentrations, the reaction temperature, the rotating speed, and the comonomer concentration were studied. The results indicated that using styrene as a comonomer and DCP/BPO as binary initiators was beneficial for the graft copolymerization. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1249–1254, 2003     

Polypropylene–phenol formaldehyde‐based compatibilizers. I. Preparation and characterization

This work deals with the synthesis of a new type of compatibilizer suitable for blends or alloys of polypropylene and engineering polymers having aromatic residues or functionality complimentary to hydroxyl. Polypropylene–phenol formaldehyde graft copolymers from thermoplastic phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins and functionalized polypropylene (f‐PP) were synthesized by reactive extrusion. The content of PF in the graft copolymer was determined by reaction variables like type and density of functionality on PP, molecular weight of PF, and viscosity ratio of f‐PP and PF. The results showed that the viscosity ratio is of primary importance for such reactive processing. Also, type and concentration of the functional groups were important variables. The glycidyl methacrylate functionality resulted in higher conversions than did PP‐g‐maleic anhydride within the available reaction times. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 347–354, 2000     

Compatibilizing effect of styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer on the properties of polyamide‐6/liquid crystalline copolyester composites

Liquid crystalline polymer–polyamide‐6 (LCP/PA6) composites containing 20 wt % LCP content were compatibilized by a random styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer (RSMA). The blending was performed via extrusion followed by injection molding. The LCP employed was a commercial copolyester, Vectra A950. The dynamic mechanical (DMA), rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties as well as the morphology of the composites were studied. The DMA and rheological results showed that RSMA is an effective compatibilizer for LCP/PA6 blends. The mechanical measurements showed that the stiffness, tensile strength, and toughness of the in situ composites are generally improved with increasing RSMA content. However, these mechanical properties deteriorated considerably when RSMA content was above 10 wt %. The drop‐weight dart impact test was also applied to analyze the toughening behavior of these composites. The results show that the maximum impact force (F_max) and crack‐initiation energy (E_init) tend to increase with increasing RSMA content. From these results, it appeared that RSMA prolongs the crack‐initiation time and increases the energies for crack initiation and impact fracture, thereby leading to toughening of LCP/PA6 in situ composites. Finally, the correlation between the mechanical properties and morphology of the blends is discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1964–1974, 2000