• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1054-1059
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• 1998

Fluorescence and dynamic light scattering measurements were applied to the study of formation and structure of aggregated colloidal particles in modified poly(ethylene-co-methylacrylate) ionomers in aqueous solution. Both 8-anillino-l-naphthalene-sulfonic acid (ANS) and pyrene were used as fluorescence probe to obtain the information on the structure of particle surface and inside, respectively. Three different ionomers used in this study started to aggregate at very dilute concentration, 3-8 x 10-6 g/mL. In this study, we demonstrate that the polyethylene ionomers can form stable nanoparticles. The hydrophobic core made of the polyethylene backbone chains is stabilized by the ionic groups on the particle surface. Such a formed stable nanoparticles have a relatively narrow size distribution with an average radius in the range of 27-48 nm, depending on the kind of ionic groups. Once the stable particles are formed, the particle size distributions were nearly constant. This study shows another way to prepare surfactant-free polyethylene nanoparticles.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.7-14
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• 2002

Modified polyethylenes with polar side groups of -COOK, $-CONH_2$, and -COOH were prepared at a dispersion state in water by reacting poly(ethylene-co-methylacrylate) (PEMA) with aqueous solution of KOH and ammonia. Types and their contents of side groups were investigated by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and atomic absorption analysis. Solution viscosity and surface tension were also measured as a function of solid contents. Stability and transparency of the dispersions were greatly affected by the content of COOK in the side groups. The stable dispersion could be prepared at a composition of COOK of 20 mole% at least. The transparency was increased with increasing the COOK contents, but decreased with increasing the amide content at a constant composition of COOK. Solution viscosities increased abruptly at a lower solid content when the COOK contents were increased, implying higher entanglement between the chains in dispersions with higher content of hydrophilic COOK group. The dispersions of higher COOK content revealed lower surface tension values.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.15-21
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• 2002

The modified polyethylene(m-PE) films were prepared from aqueous dispersions which were synthesized by reacting poly(ethylene-co-methylacrylate) with aqueous KOH and ammonia solution to attach -COOK, $CONH_2$, and COOH as pendent groups in the polyethylene backbones. Thermal, tensile and heat-seal properties were measured to investigate the effect of the pendent groups. Endothermic peaks on DSC curves were affected by the thermal history of the samples and a melting peak was observed at around $86^{\circ}C$ on the second heating curve while three melting peaks were shown on the first heating curve. A minimum value of tensile strength was shown at 70 mole% of COOK based on pendent groups. Tensile modulus increased with increasing the amide content in pendent groups. The m-PE films were heat-sealed at lower temperature than LDPE films and showed a minimum heat seal strength at around 70 mole% COOK content in pendent groups.