Abstract
Blending is a useful technique to improve upon the physico-mechanical properties of the polymers. Synergies of the properties of the two polymers occur best when they are miscible or compatible with each other. Vegetable oil epoxy can be used for blending with polymers to improve upon their physical and mechanical properties. Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) is a hard, brittle and water sensitive material. Dehydrated castor oil epoxy (DCOE), a product from a sustainable resource, has been chosen to improve upon the physical and mechanical properties of PMAA through solution blending. Blends of DCOE/PMAA were prepared in the weight ratios 80/20, 60/40 and 20/80 through a solution method by mixing in dimethyl sulphoxide. In the first instance, the miscibility of the two components was investigated using the techniques of viscosity and ultrasonic measurements. The study revealed that the two components showed semicompatibility/semimiscibility in solution. The compatibility in the solid phase was examined by differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy which revealed that DCOE-PMAA pair were incompatible in solid phase.