Ethyl acrylate-based ionomers

A variety of ionomers have been described in the research literature, including copolymers of a) styrene with acrylic acid, b) ethyl acrylate with methacrylic acid, and (c) ethylene with methacrylic acid. A relatively recent development has been that of fluorinated sulfonate ionomers known as Nafions, a trade name of the Du Pont company. These ionomers have the general structure illustrated (10.1) and are used commercially as membranes. These ionomers are made by copolymerisation of the hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon monomers with minor amounts of the appropriate acid or ester. Copolymerisation is followed by either neutralisation or hydrolysis with a base, a process that may be carried out either in solution or in the melt. 

Nevertheless, several conunercial grades of moderate impact strength polyamides have been produced for a long time by simple melt blending with such impact modifiers as ethylene-ethyl acrylate, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers and ionomers based on zinc neutralized, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers [15-16]. However, in the case of the PA-6, the zinc ionomers have been found to be particularly effective as impact modifiers... 

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