Abstract
Divalent metal salts of ethylene glycol–methacrylate–phthalate (EMP) were prepared by the reaction of EMP and divalent metal ions in aqueous solution. The divalent metal salts obtained, except for the Pb salt, have melting points which decrease in the order of Ca > Ba > Mg > Zn > Cd salt. The Zn and Cd salts are fairly soluble in most organic solvents. Therefore, the Zn salt and Cd salt were selected for the copolymerization with MMA, styrene (St), and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). In the copolymerization, the rates of copolymerization increased markedly as the concentration of metal salts increased. Moreover, the systems containing MMA copolymerized more rapidly than those containing St. As for the physical properties of the copolymers obtained, compressive strength and Rockwell hardness were improved by introducing metal salts into the polymers; and heat distortion temperature and tensile and flexural strengths were also improved by selecting the most suitable concentration of metal salts according to the species of metal salts and vinyl monomers. The TGA and the boiling water resistance of the copolymers were also discussed.