Synthesis and characterization of interpenetrating polymer network base on PVA/AAM / Mohd Afnan Azmi

Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) are a new class of polymer blend in network form in which at least one component is polymerized and or crosslinked in the immediate presence of the other. For this project, Sequential polymerization is used to prepare IPN sample between Acrylamide (AAM) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA). Trimethylol propane triacylate (TMPTA) as a crosslinking agent and Potassium Persulfate (KiSOs) as initiator. The polymerization process had been done in the nitrogen gas. The variation compositions of PVA were prepared to determine the effect
of PVA on PAAM/PVA IPN sample. Structural characterization of the PAAM/PVA IPN sample was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Increasing the percentage of PVA, the OH bond also increase. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) was used to study thermal properties such as glass transition temperature and melting temperature. In PAAM/PVA IPN sample, increasing the percentage of PVA increased the glass transition temperature. This is due to reducing segment mobility of PAAM/PVA IPN sample. The Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal properties of the PAAM/PVA IPN sample. Increasing the percentage of PVA in the PAAM/PVA IPN sample increased the thermal stability of sample due to increasing the degradation temperature at first stage. Gel content of PAAM/PVA IPN samples were determined by Soxhlet extraction process. Increasing the percentage of PVA will increase the physical crosslink in PAAM/PVA IPN sample, thus reduce the
soxhlet ratio. Swelling test was done to investigate the water absorption properties of PAAM/PVA IPN sample. Increasing the amount of OH group in IPN sample increased the swelling of PAAM/PVA IPN sample. From the result, PAAM/PVA IPN sample with 0.2 mole PVA is the optimum value because it gives good result for all testing.