Viscoelastic behavior of interpenetrating polymer networks: Poly(ethyl acrylate)–poly(methyl methacrylate)

The creep behavior of a series of poly(ethyl acrylate)–poly(methyl methacrylate) interpenetrating polymer networks was investigated. For comparison purposes, some stress relaxation data were included. Master curves containing a single broad transition covering approximately 20 decades of time were found for midrange compositions. Although the time–temperature superposition principle and the WLF equation should not strictly apply, reasonable agreement was found over a large portion of shift factor versus temperature plots. Application of a modified Tobolsky-Aklonis-Dupre glass–rubber theory suggested that the breadth of the transition could be attributed to a near continuum of phase compositions in the material, each phase composition making its specific contribution to the relaxation spectrum. Whether or not these phase regions are so small as to arise from random concentration fluctuations in an otherwise compatible polymer pair remains unknown.