Highly-interpenetrated and phase-separated UV-cured interpenetrating methacrylate-epoxide polymer networks: Influence of the composition on properties and microstructure

Interpenetrating Polymer Networks (IPNs) based on a polybutadiene dimethacrylate and a dicyclohexylepoxide mixed at different ratios have been synthesized by photopolymerization. To obtain a complete overview of the formation and phase separation of these IPNs, and to predict the final morphology, miscibility before and after polymerization has been studied. By varying the methacrylate/epoxide ratio, it was possible to move from a miscible and highly-interpenetrated system to a totally immiscible and phase-separated one. Miscibility effects on the polymerization kinetics of both polymer networks, final properties and surface morphology were investigated by RT-FTIR, DMA, AFM and AFAM. This overall characterization gives a better understanding of the formation and phase separation process in this system, depending on the mixture composition. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.