Mechanical and thermal behavior of poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene)/polycarbonate blends reinforced with potassium titanate whiskers

Poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS)/polycarbonate (PC) blends reinforced with potassium titanate (K₂Ti₆O₁₃) whiskers were prepared in a twin screw extruder followed by injection molding. The whiskers were pretreated with tetrabutyl orthotitanate prior to compounding. The tensile, dynamic mechanical, impact, morphology and thermal properties of the blends were studied. Tensile tests showed that the modulus of ABS/PC/K₂Ti₆O₁₃ blend increased markedly with increasing whisker content. However, the variation of the modulus of ABS/PC/K₂Ti₆O₁₃ blend with PC content followed a sigmoidal relation. In addition, the tensile strength of the blends containing 20 wt% PC tended to increase markedly with increasing whisker content. But the impact strength of the blends containing 20 wt% PC decreased rapidly with increasing whisker content. Dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) results indicated that the storage modulus of the blends increased markedly with increasing K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker content. Differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric measurements showed that potassium titanate whiskers tend to induce chemical decomposition of PC during blending of the PC/whisker blends. However, the incorporation of ABS into PC was beneficial to reduce the PC decomposition during compounding with the whiskers.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of polycarbonate composites reinforced with potassium titanate whiskers

Polycarbonate (PC) composites reinforced with potassium titanate (K₂Ti₆O₁₃) whiskers were blended in a twin‐screw extruder followed by injection molding. The surface of whiskers was treated with tetrabutyl orthotitanate prior to blending. The effects of potassium titanate whisker additions on the tensile, impact, and thermal properties of PC were investigated. Tensile tests showed that the stiffness of composites markedly improved with increasing whisker content. However, potassium titanate whiskers were ineffective to reinforce PC because these whiskers promoted chemical decomposition of PC matrix during compounding. Consequently, the torque values of PC/K₂Ti₆O₁₃ composites were much lower than that of PC. Moreover, torque measurements revealed that titanate coupling agent also facilitated decomposition of PC during blending. The mechanisms responsible for the degradation of PC matrix of the surface‐treated PC/K₂Ti₆O₁₃ composites are discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 501–508, 1999     

Mechanical and thermal behavior of polycarbonate composites reinforced with aluminum borate whiskers

Inorganic aluminum borate (Al₁₈B₄O₃₃) whisker was employed in this study to reinforce polycarbonate (PC). The composites were prepared in a single-screw extruder, followed by injection molding. The whiskers were pretreated with tetrabutyl orthotitanate prior to compounding. The tensile, dynamic mechanical, impact, and thermal properties of the composites were studied. Tensile results showed that the modulus of PC–Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ composites increased markedly with increasing whisker content. However, the tensile stress of the composite decreased slightly with the addition of 5 wt % whisker; thereafter, it increased slowly with increasing whisker content. Differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric measurements showed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) and 5% weight loss temperature (T_−5%) of the composite shift rapidly to lower temperature regimes with the addition of Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ whiskers up to 10 wt %. Thereafter, the T_g and T_−5% of PC–Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ composites tended to decrease slowly with increasing whisker content. The mechanical and thermal properties of PC–Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ composites were compared with those of PC–potassium titanate (K₂Ti₆O₁₃) whisker composites. The reinforcing effect of Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ and K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whiskers on PC was discussed and contrasted. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 2247–2253, 1999     

A study of tribological and mechanical properties of PTFE composites filled with surface treated K2Ti6O13 whisker

K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker was modified with n‐octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), fluorosurfactant (FSK), and silane coupling agent (KH‐550), respectively. The surface energy of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker was calculated based on Van Oss‐Chaudhury‐Good function. Then the influence of surface modification on the tribological and mechanical properties of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites was studied. Surface energy calculation shows that the surface energy of OTS‐treated K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker is only 29.0 mJ/m², which is the closest to the value of pure PTFE. Among all samples, the PTFE composite filled with OTS‐treated K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker shows the best antiwear property, tensile strength, and impact strength, which is about 19 to 33%, 15 and 55% higher than that of untreated K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker filled PTFE, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Aluminum‐borate‐whiskers‐reinforced bismaleimide composites. 1: preparation and properties

Aluminum‐borate‐whiskers‐reinforced bismaleimide (BMI/Al₁₈B₄O₃₃) composites were prepared, and the mechanical and thermal properties were investigated. Results show that the coupling agent used for surface treatment of whiskers has a great effect on the properties of these materials. Composites containing surface‐untreated whiskers, or silane‐compound‐KH 921‐treated whiskers, exhibited initially only a slight increase in the flexural strength when the whiskers weight content increased up to 5 wt%; thereafter, they showed a sharp decrease when the whiskers content was higher than 5 wt%. On the other hand, impact strength tests showed that the addition of the two kinds of whiskers decreased the impact strength of the composites. However, studies of the composite containing borate (BE4)‐treated whiskers showed that its flexural strength greatly increased with increasing whisker content. Moreover, the composite showed initially an increase in impact strength with a whisker content up to 10 wt%, then showing a slight decrease when the whisker content reached 15 wt%. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the two coupling agents (KH 921 and BE4) employed in this work tend to change the fracture features of the composites from brittleness to that of ductile behaviour. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Formation mechanism of whiskers in Al–MgAl2O4–MgO refractories at 1400 °C under N2 atmosphere

Al–MgAl₂O₄–MgO refractories were prepared using fused magnesia, metal Al, fused spinel and sintered high purity magnesia as raw materials. The phase composition and microstructure of Al–MgAl₂O₄–MgO refractories treated at 1400 °C under N₂ atmosphere were investigated by means of XRD, SEM and EDS. The results showed that magnesia (MgO) whiskers and MgAlON whiskers were formed on the surface and in the inner area of the Al–MgAl₂O₄–MgO refractories, respectively. The MgO whiskers grew preferentially along the axial direction, forming cylindrical shape MgO whiskers. Then the cylindrical MgO whiskers further absorbed Mg(g) and O₂(g), and grew along the radial direction to form the square columnar shape MgO whiskers. The MgAlON whiskers firstly grew in one-dimensional direction, forming whisker shape MgAlON, then some whisker shape MgAlON gradually developed and grew into two-dimensional flake shape MgAlON. The sintering and thermal shock resistance was significantly improved by the whiskers. The growth process of magnesia whiskers and MgAlON whiskers were dominated by a vapor-solid (VS) mechanism.     

Preparation and performance of aluminum borate whisker–reinforced epoxy composites. I. Effect of whiskers on processing,reactivity, and mechanical properties

Aluminum borate (Al₁₈B₄O₃₃) whisker–reinforced composites based on a epoxy resin, which was made up of a trifunctional epoxy resin, TDE 85, and methyl nadic anhydride (MNA), were prepared, and the effects of the whiskers on the processing, reactivity, and typical mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Two coupling agents, aluminate (DL411A) and borate (BE4), were used to surface treat the whiskers. Results show that the addition of the whiskers does not change the reactivity of the matrix, while increasing the viscosity of the resin, but when the whisker content is less than 5 wt %, the increased viscosity does not obviously influence the processing characteristics of the resin. Mechanical properties are greatly dependent on the chemistry and concentration of the coupling agent for treating the whiskers. A good coupling agent, which has good interaction with the whiskers and the matrix, can effectively improve the compatibility between the whiskers and the matrix, and thus result in great improvement of mechanical properties. BE4 proved to be better than DL411A for treating the whiskers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1950–1954, 2004     

Fabrication and mechanical properties of Al2O3-SiCw-TiCnp ceramic tool material

Whiskers and nanoparticles are usually used as reinforcing additives of ceramic composite materials due to the synergistically toughening and strengthening mechanisms. In this paper, the effects of TiC nanoparticle content, particle size and preparation process on the mechanical properties of hot pressed Al₂O₃-SiC_w ceramic tool materials were investigated. The results showed that the Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the materials increased with the increasing of TiC content. The optimized flexural strength was obtained with TiC content of 4 vol% and particle size of 40 nm. The particle size has been found to have a great influence on flexural strength and small influence on hardness and fracture toughness. It was concluded that the flexural strength increased remarkably with the decreasing of the TiC particle size, which was resulted from the improved density and refined grain size of the composite material due to the dispersion of the smaller TiC particle size. SEM micrographs of fracture surface showed the whiskers to be mainly distributed along the direction perpendicular to the hot-pressing direction. The fracture toughness was improved by whisker crack bridging, crack deflection and whisker pullout; the TiC nanoparticles in Al₂O₃ grains caused transgranular fracture and crack deflection, which improved the flexural strength and fracture toughness with whiskers synergistically. Uniaxial hot-pressing of SiC whisker reinforced Al₂O₃ ceramic composites resulted in the anisotropy of whiskers’ distribution, which led to crack propagation differences between lateral crack and radical crack.     

Mechanical performance of ternary in situ polycarbonate/poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene)/liquid crystalline polymer composites

Ternary in situ polycarbonate (PC)/poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene) (ABS)/liquid crystalline polymer(LCP) composites were prepared by injection molding. The LCP used was a versatile Vectra A950, and the matrix of composite specimens was PC/ABS 60/40 by weight. Maleic anhydride (MA) copolymer and solid epoxy resin (bisphenol type‐A) were used as compatibilizers for these composites. The tensile, dynamic mechanical, impact, morphology, and thermal properties of the composites were studied. Tensile tests showed that the tensile strength of the PC/ABS/LCP composite in the longitudinal direction increased markedly with increasing LCP content. However, it decreased slowly with increasing LCP content in the transverse direction. The modulus of this composite in the longitudinal direction appeared to increase considerably with increasing LCP content, whereas the incorporation of LCP into PC/ABS blends had little effect on the modulus in the transverse direction. The impact tests revealed that the Izod impact strength of the composites in both longitudinal and transverse direction decreased with increasing LCP content up to 15 wt %; thereafter it increased slowly with increasing LCP. Dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) and thermogravimetric measurements showed that the heat resistance and heat stability of the composites tended to increase with increasing LCP content. Scanning electron microscopy observation and DMA measurement indicated that the additions of epoxy and MA copolymer to PC/ABS matrix appeared to enhance the compatibility between the PC and ABS, and between the matrix and LCP. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 2274–2282, 1999     

Biodegradable thermoplastic elastomer comprising PLLCA and CaCO<Subscript>3</Subscript> whiskers: mechanical properties,thermal stability and shape memory properties

A biodegradable and thermoplastic elastomer—poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLLCA)—was reinforced with 5, 10, 20, and 30 wt% of CaCO₃ whiskers. We assessed the influence of the CaCO₃ whisker content on the mechanical and thermal properties of the PLLCA/CaCO₃ whisker composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the CaCO₃ whiskers were uniformly distributed in the composite matrices. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed that the glass transition temperatures (T _g) of the composites increased slightly with increasing CaCO₃ whisker content. At low CaCO₃ whisker contents, the tensile strengths of the composites increased sharply with increasing CaCO₃ content, the Young’s moduli also increased, and the elongation at break values gradually decreased. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the CaCO₃ whiskers can promote the thermal degradation of PLLCA. Shape memory test results indicated that an appropriate amount of CaCO₃ whiskers can improve the shape memory properties of PLLCA.     

Polymer whiskers of poly(4-hydroxybenzoate): Reinforcement efficiency in composites with polyamides

The reinforcing efficiency of polymer whiskers of poly(4-hydroxybenzoate) (PHB) in poly-amide-6 (PA-6) and polyamide-11 (PA-11) composites was investigated by tensile testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and density measurements. The composites were prepared by mixing the whiskers into the melts of the polyamides. Ductile and stiff PA-6-composites with different crystallinities of the PA-6-matrix were investigated. In the ductile PA-6 (low crystallinity) composites, the elastic modulus E and the yield stress σ_f increase more than twice at a whisker content of 2 vol %. The increase in E and σ_f in stiff PA-6 (high crystallinity) composites is not as pronounced as in the ductile PA-6 composites, but is still remarkably higher than in the PA-11 composites, which is about 1.2 times at a whisker content of 2 vol %. At higher whisker content, the PA-6 composites show the opposite of the PA-11-composite—no further increase in E and σ_f, which may be due to an agglomoration of whiskers in the high viscous PA-6 melt. The different tensile properties of the composites can be explained by SEM analysis of the fracture surfaces, which shows that the adhesion of PA-6 to the PHB whiskers is better than of PA-11. This is due to a higher number of hydrogen bonds between the PA-6 and the whisker surface. Density measurements show that the crystallinity of the polyamides is not affected by the PHB whiskers. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Molten salt synthesis and characterization of lead-free (1-x)Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-xSrTiO3 (x = 0, 0.10, 0.26) whiskers

In this study, Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃-xSrTiO₃ (NBT-xST, x?=?0, 0.10, 0.26) whiskers were synthesized by a two step molten salt method using Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ whiskers as templates. The crystalline phase, morphology, microstructure, composition and ferroelectric characteristic of the whiskers were investigated in details. The topochemical transformation from Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ structure to NBT-xST perovskite structure was found to occur by structural rearrangement of the edge sharing octahedra into vertex sharing octahedra. The prepared polycrystalline NBT-xST whiskers possessed high aspect ratio with diameter of 500–800?nm and length of 5–10?µm. The PFM investigations confirmed the favorable piezoelectricity of NBT whiskers while the NBT-0.26ST whiskers displayed relaxor-ferroelectric characteristics at room temperature, exhibiting the potential of NBT-xST whiskers for fabricating high performance micro/nano-devices.     

Morphology and performance of potassium titanate whisker-reinforced polypropylene composites

Titanate whisker-reinforced polypropylene composites were prepared in a twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding. The whiskers were surface treated with tetrabutyl orthotitanate prior to blending. The static and dynamic mechanical properties, impact strength, and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. Static tensile measurements showed that the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composites increased with increasing whisker content. However, the Izod impact tests indicated that the impact strength of longitudinal samples remained unchanged with the addition of whisker up to 10 wt %. Thereafter, it shows a continuous decrease with increasing whisker content. The thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical tests demonstrated that the heat-resistance and thermooxidative stability for the composites also increased with increasing whisker content. Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed that the whiskers within the composites were oriented uniformly. The experimental data were compared with the well established mechanical models to evaluate the reinforcing efficiency. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 70: 431–439, 1998     

Polymer blends with modified coupling agent. II. Effects of LICA 44 grafted styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer on properties of flame retardant acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene blends

Flame retardant acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (FR‐ABS) blends were prepared by blending tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBA) and antimony trioxide (Sb₂O₃) into the ABS resin. LICA 44 grafted styrene–maleic anhydride (SMA‐g‐L44) copolymers were used as high molecular weight (MW) coupling agents to modify the properties of the FR‐ABS blends, and the copolymers with different LICA 44 grafting ratios were produced via the in vivo and the in situ reactions, respectively. The LICA 44 percentage and the MW of the SMA‐g‐L44 copolymers are important factors influencing the effects of the high MW coupling agent. The impact strength and the tensile yield stress of SMA‐g‐L44 modified FR‐ABS blends increased obviously. The elongation at break and the limiting oxygen index of which also showed an increasing trend after the modification. The coupling effect of SMA‐g‐L44 became weaker at a higher grafting ratio. SEM observation showed that the interfacial boundary in the FR‐ABS became fuzzy after using the SMA‐g‐L44 copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 865–874, 1999     

Friction and wear characteristics of fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites under oil lubricated conditions

Four kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based composites, such as pure PTFE, PTFE + 30(vol.)% carbon fiber, PTFE + 30(vol.)% glass fiber, and PTFE + 30(vol.)% K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker composite, were prepared. The friction and wear properties of these fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites sliding against GCr15-bearing steel (SAE52100 steel) under both dry and liquid paraffin lubricated conditions were studied by using an MHK-500 ring-block wear tester (Timken wear tester). Then the worn surfaces of these PTFE composites and the transfer films formed on the surface of GCr15-bearing steel were investigated by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and an Optical Microscope, respectively. Experimental results show that the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites reinforced with carbon fiber, glass fiber, and a K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin, and the friction coefficients of these PTFE composites can be decreased by one order of magnitude compared to those under dry friction conditions. Meanwhile, the wear of the fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites in liquid paraffin lubrication increases with the increase of load, but the friction coefficients of these PTFE composites first decrease with the increase of load, and then increase with the increase of load. The variations of friction coefficients with load for these PTFE composites in liquid paraffin lubrication can be described properly by the Stribeck's curve as given in this article. However, when the load increases to the load limits of the PTFE composites, their friction and wear increase sharply. SEM and optical microscope investigations show that the interactions between liquid paraffin and the PTFE composites, especially the absorption of liquid paraffin into the surface layers of the PTFE composites, create some obvious cracks on the worn surfaces of the PTFE composites. The creation and the development of the cracks reduce the load-carrying capacity of the PTFE composites, and therefore lead to the increase of the friction and wear of the PTFE composites under higher loads. Meanwhile, the transfer of the fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites onto the counterfaces can be greatly reduced by lubrication with liquid paraffin, but the transfer still takes place. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1393–1402, 1998     

The effect of whisker orientation in SiC whisker-reinforced Si3N4 ceramic matrix composites

Si₃N₄ ceramic matrix composites reinforced by nearly unidirectionally aligned SiC whiskers have been prepared by extrusion and hot pressing. Unlike the case in traditional Si₃N₄ ceramic matrix composites reinforced by random SiC whiskers, the mechanical properties of the composites exhibit a significant dependence on whisker orientation. In the direction of whisker alignment for SiC(w)/Si₃N₄ composites, increments in bending strength and fracture toughness of 200 MPa and 3 MPa·m^1/2 are obtained respectively, compared to the values in the direction perpendicular to whisker alignment. Based on microscopic fractographic observation and micromechanics analyses, the effects of whisker orientation on toughening mechanisms are discussed. The results indicate that the whisker orientation, θ, is a decisive factor for the essential toughening mechanisms of whiskers. Only in the case of small θ and weak interface can whisker pullout occur, and whisker has maximum toughening effect. The results show that effects of whisker strengthening and toughening can be improved simultaneously through whisker oriented alignment. ©     

Synthesis of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 whiskers and their nanoscale piezoelectricity

The perovskite structured lead-free system Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ (NBT) whiskers were synthesized from whiskers of layered tunnel structured Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ (NT), using a topochemical route. Both NT and NBT whiskers show high aspect ratios with an average length of 15 µm and diameter of 1 µm. By prolonging the reaction time from 2 h to 6 h at 900 °C, NT whiskers with monoclinic phase completely transformed to NBT whiskers with pseudocubic phase. Typical strip-like nanodomains are observed in a NBT whisker, which are parallel to each other. The piezoelectric response amplitude for a NBT whisker indicates a large electric field induced strain, corresponding to a S_max/E_max value of as high as 300 pm/V. This work provides an in-depth instruction to prepare pure NBT whiskers, and gives the detailed piezoelectricity of NBT whiskers to promote their applications in energy harvesting and micro-electromechanical systems.     

Effect of surface modifiers and surface modification methods on properties of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene/poly(methyl methacrylate)/nano‐calcium carbonate composites

Nano‐calcium carbonate (nano‐CaCO₃) was used in this article to fill acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), which is often used in rapid heat cycle molding process (RHCM). To achieve better adhesion between nano‐CaCO₃ and ABS/PMMA, nano‐CaCO₃ particles were modified by using titanate coupling agent, aluminum–titanium compound coupling agent, and stearic acid. Dry and solution methods were both utilized in the surface modification process. ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃ composites were prepared in a corotating twin screw extruder. Influence of surface modifiers and surface modification methods on mechanical and flow properties of composites was analyzed. The results showed that collaborative use of aluminum–titanium compound coupling agent and stearic acid for nano‐CaCO₃ surface modification is optimal in ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃ composites. Coupling agent can increase the melt flow index (MFI) and tensile yield strength of ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃ composites. The Izod impact strength of composites increases with the addition of titanate coupling agent up to 1 wt %, thereafter the Izod impact strength shows a decrease. The interfacial adhesion between nano‐CaCO₃ and ABS/PMMA is stronger by using solution method. But the dispersion uniformity of nano‐CaCO₃ modified by solution method is worse. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Effect of calcium carbonate whisker content on the morphology,crystallization, and mechanical properties of poly(para‐dioxanone)/Calcium carbonate whisker composites

In this work, poly(para‐dioxanone) (PPDO) was mixed with 0, 1, 5, 10, 20, and 30 weight percent (wt%) calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) whiskers by solution coprecipitation. Samples were compression molded into bars using a platen vulcanizing press. It has assessed the influence of the CaCO₃ whisker content on the morphology, thermal, mechanical, and crystalline properties of the PPDO/CaCO₃ whisker composites, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. DSC showed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) and crystallization temperature (T_c) of the composites increased with increasing CaCO₃ whisker content. At low CaCO₃ whisker content (1 wt%), the degree of crystallinity (Dc) of PPDO increased sharply. The addition of higher content of CaCO₃ whisker would cause more agglomeration in PPDO matrix, so that the mechanical properties of PPDO/CaCO₃ whisker composites would gradually decrease. The mechanical properties of PPDO were changed by the presence of CaCO₃ whiskers; the optimal amount of CaCO₃ whisker was 1 wt%, which sharply improved the tensile strength of PPDO by 54%. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3442–3448, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Mechanical,thermal, and water uptake characteristics of woodflour‐filled polyvinyl chloride/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blends

Woodflour‐filled composites based on polymeric blends of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and super high‐impact grade ABS were developed. Mechanical, thermal, and water uptake characteristics of the PVC/ABS matrix and their wood composites were evaluated. In the case of PVC/ABS matrix, the blend at a mass ratio of 50/50 rendered the impact strength with a very high value of up to 65 kJ/m², noticeably higher than those of the parent resins, that is, 6 kJ/m² of PVC and 35 kJ/m² of ABS. Dynamic mechanical analysis thermograms showed two distinct glass transition temperatures (T_gs) that shifted toward each other indicating partial miscibility of the blends. Water absorption of the blends after 24 h immersion was low, that is, within the range of 0.04–0.2 wt % and exhibits a behavior closed to pseudo‐Fickian type. The obtained PVC/ABS wood composites exhibited an increase of flexural modulus as well as T_gs with an increase of woodflour content. Finally, impact strength of the PVC/ABS composites was significantly higher than those of PVC composites or polyethylene composites comparing at the same woodflour content. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012