Increasing the Resistance of Poly(Ether Imide) to Solvents by Blending with Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)

We studied the sorption behavior of poly (ether imide) (PEI) upon the addition of minor amounts (10 and 30%) of miscibilized poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) under acetone and other common solvent environments. Significant solvent sorption (maximum solvent sorption = 8-12 wt %) and changes in mechanical properties were observed only in the case of acetone. The sorption of acetone was Fickian and partially irreversible. Both sorption and solubility decreased markedly upon PTT addition to PET, most likely as a result of a blending-induced decrease in the free volume. The decreases in the modulus were attributed to plasticization, and the mixed effects on the elongation at break were attributed to the combined effects of fast plasticization and slower swelling. The joint effects of applied stress and the presence of acetone were studied with creep tests. In these tests, a combination of a free volume increase, plasticization, and superficial cracking of PEI was proposed to occur. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 112: 896-903, 2009