ABSTRACT:The relationship between ionomer structure and surface resistivity (p,) was studied for Na, K, Cs, Mg, and Zn ionomers prepared from poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) and poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (EAA). The study revealed that only ionomers highly neutralized with alkali metal cations exhibit anti-electrostaticity and the origin of ionic conduction was assumed to result from the transfer of water-coordinated metal cations. The method of mixing high-and low-acid ionomers was found to be effective in reducing the magnitude of moisture absorption while maintaining the anti-electrostaticity. Blends of a potassium ionomer with a wide variety of thermoplastics were also prepared to evaluate the possibility of using ethylene ionomers as anti-electrostatic additives. Interestingly, the effect of the potassium ionomer upon p, of the blends differed by the type of the thermoplastics, suggesting that how the ionomer phase distributes over the blends may be influenced by local interactions between ionomer and polymer matrix phases.KEY WORDS Ethylene Ionomer / Alkali Metal Salt / Anti-Electrostatic Property / Surface Resistivity / Moisture Uptake / Ionomers are defined as polymers consisting of hydrophobic backbones and a small amount of ionic moieties attached to or at the terminal of the polymer backbones. Despite the presence of ionic groups, there is little difference in the electrical properties between ionomers and their host polymers so that ionomers are generally considered to be an electrical insulator. For example, volume resistivity at 23°C and 50% relative humidity was 4.07 x 10 16 and 17 .2 x 10 16 Q · cm -1 for an ethylene ionomer and a low-density polyethylene, respectively. 1 This indicates that metal cations of ethylene ionomers are tightly bound to carboxylate ions that are covalently bonded to the polymer backbones.terested in the structure and properties of ethylene ionomers, and more emphasis has currently been placed on their structural changes caused by water absorption. 2 -4 Our studies revealed that hydrophilic ionic groups are strong absorption sites of water molecules and water absorption preferentially affects the structure of the ionic aggregates. Such plasticizing effects usually create unfavorable impacts on the physical properties due to the softening of rigid ionic cross-links. From the de conductivity study on the ethylene ionomers, we also found that water absorption influences de conductivity of ethylene ionomers; de conductivity at ambient temperature became more than 10 times with an increase of the water content from 0.45 to 1.1 wt¾. 5