H/D solvent isotope effect on miscibility in the polystyrene-methyl acetate system

The results of the solubility of polystyrene in methyl acetate and deuterated acetate, which showing that the isotope substitution can be valuable variable of the same significance as pressure or molecular weight, was investigated. A polystyrene samples of the lowest polydispersity was used to investigate the results of solubility of polystyrene. These samples of well-defined molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were obtained from pressure chemical Co., Pittsburgh. Polymer samples were vacuum-dried using molecular sieves. Methyl acetate was classified as a solvent for polystyrene. This solvent dissolved a polymer at concentration as high and higher than the critical concentration. The phase diagram were constructed using experimental values from the miscibility measurements for PS4000, PS2000, and PS13200 with methyl acetate. The results show that the solubility curves represents the phase diagram with upper and lower critical solution temperatures.