STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF IONOMERS BASED ON ETHYLENE-CO-METHACRYLIC ACID COPOLYMER (EMAA)

Effects of Thermal History

Abstract

Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR) measurement was made on zinc and sodium ionomers (EMAA-Zn and EMAA-Na) of ethylene-co-methacrylic acid copolymer. Asymmetry stretching vibration peak of ion aggregates in EMAA-Zn changed greatly with slowly cooling process, compared with EMAA-Na. DSC measurement showed that the peak temperature (T₁) in lower temperature range and its endotherm (ΔH₁) increased with the slowly cooling process. The results of dynamic viscoelasticity and tensile measurements indicated that storage mudulus, Young's modulus, yield stress, and tensile strength of EMAA ionomers increased greatly with the slowly cooling process.