Miscibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and atactic poly(methyl methacrylate)

Different results for the miscibility between poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (at-PMMA) have been reported. In this study, the interaction between PVDF and at-PMMA was confirmed, although such a kind of force was weak. With increasing PVDF weight fraction, the blends exhibited more heterogeneous properties, and the films thus appeared more opaque. The difference spectra after subtraction of PVDF and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) showed that the interaction between the carbonyl groups of PMMA and the hydrogen atoms of PVDF increased as the stretch vibration of C=O bonds band shifted to a lower frequency with higher PVDF content. From the computer analysis, the sum spectra of the blends could not be obtained by simple addition of the separate spectra of the homopolymers. The contact angle measurement demonstrated that the hydrophobicity against water increased with PVDF content and that contact angles against water were larger than 90 when the PVDF content exceeded 30%, indicating good water repellency. The contact angles against n-hexane, however, could not be measured because of the complete wetting of the film by n-hexane. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.