Acoustic relaxation and infrared spectroscopic measurements of the plasticization of poly(methyl methacrylate) by water

Measurements are reported on the acoustic attenuation and velocity of dry and wet samples of poly(methyl methacrylate) over a temperature range of 5° to 70°C and over a frequency range of 5 to 35 MHz. Lowering of the glass transition temperature with increase in water content was reflected in an increase in the acoustic attenuation and a lowering of the velocity at high temperature. Comparison of the infrared spectra of wet and dry thin films indicates that water exhibits spectroscopic characteristics of isolated rather than highly clustered molecules. A study of the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient of water into the polymer matrix provided an activation energy for the migration process. The data suggest that water plasticizes poly(methyl methacrylate) via specific local interactions with the backbone.