A dynamic mechanical and thermal analysis of unplasticized and plasticized poly(vinyl alcohol)/methylcellulose blends

The miscibility of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/methylcellulose (MC) blends was investigated over the entire composition range using the dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). On the basis of the glass transition temperature, determined by DMA, one could conclude that the blends exhibited some miscibility below 80 wt % of MC and a good miscibility above 80 wt % of MC. The highest depressions of the melting and crystallization temperatures of the blends compared to those of PVA, determined via DSC analysis, were observed for MC contents greater than 80 wt %. The miscibility between PVA and MC can be attributed to the hydrogen bonds formed between the two components. The DMA studies showed that water is a good plasticizer for PVA and poly(ethylene glycol) 400 (PEG 400), a good plasticizer for MC. The inclusion of both water and PEG 400 in the blends revealed a synergistic plasticizing effect, which resulted in an increased miscibility between PVA and MC over a greater range of MC compositions (>60 wt Ic). The elongations of PVA, MC, and their blends were found to increase with the addition of PEG 400, but the tensile strengths to decrease. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.