MOLECULAR WEIGHTS AND MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION IN PHASE EQUILIBRIA OF THE POLYSTYRENE-POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)-TOLUENE SYSTEM.

Abstract

The composite gel permeation chromatography (GPC) chromatogram of a mixture of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) has been successfully resolved into its component chromatograms by using a newly developed technique. This technique has made possible the calculation of M//w and M//n values of these polymers in the conjugate phases of the ternary systems with toluene as the solvent. Calculated M//w and M//n values of the two polymers indicated that the larger polystyrene molecules tend to stay in the top polystyrene-rich phase while its smaller molecules tend to stay in the bottom phase to interact with the other polymer. The reverse is true with the poly(methyl methacrylate) molecules. This tendency strongly suggests that interactions among the two polymers were accomplished mainly by their smaller molecules.