Quantitative Analysis of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Polyethylene (PVOH-PE) Copolymers and Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone-Polyvinyl Acetate (PVP-PVAc) Copolymers and Blends Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Elemental Analysis

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a widespread instrumental technique used to determine the molecular structure of organic polymers. With the goal of increasing instrumental use in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory, we have devised a quantitative FTIR experiment to be used in instrumental analysis courses. The objective was to determine the % PVOH in copolymers with PE as well as to determine the % PVAc in copolymers and blends with PVP. We report on the methodology used to determine % PVOH and %PVP, as well as the results obtained via FTIR and elemental analysis. The literature regarding PVOH-PE copolymers refers to them as either EVOH copolymers or PVOH-PE copolymers, though EVOH is more common and thus these copolymers will be referred to as EVOH. The EVOH copolymers ranged from 73 to 56 mole% PVOH and the copolymers and blends of PVP-PVAc ranged from 70 to 30 mole% PVP