Influence of the morphology and viscoelasticity on the thermomechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane blends compatibilized with ethylene-ester copolymer

Viscoelastic, interfacial properties, and morphological data were employed to predict the thermal and mechanical properties of compatibilized poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blends. The combination of interfacial thickness measured by contact angle and entanglement density determined by dynamical mechanical analysis analyze data was employed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of PLA/TPU blends with and without ethylene-butyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (EBG) compatibilization agent. The PLA/TPU blend (70/30 wt %) was prepared in a Haake internal mixer at 190 °C and compatibilized with different contents of EBG. The evaluation of the interfacial properties revealed an increase in the interfacial layer thickness of the PLA/TPU blend with EBG. The scanning electronic microscopy images showed a drastic reduction in the size of the dispersed phase by increasing the compatibilizer agent EBG content in the blend. The compatibilization of the PLA/TPU blends improved both the Izod impact strength and yield stress by 38 and 33%, respectively, in comparison with neat PLA/TPU blend. The addition of EBG into PLA/TPU blends significantly increased the entanglement density and the PLA toughening but resulted in a decrease of PLA deformation at break. The PLA and TPU glass transitions were affected by the EBG, suggesting that the PLA and TPU domains were partially miscible. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48926.     

Loss of thermoplastic elastomer toughening in polylactide after weathering

It has been already pointed out that one of the best ways to increase toughness of the inherently brittle polylactide (PLA) without sacrificing strength and modulus is the use of thermoplastic elastomer toughening approach; but what happens under outdoor conditions was not explored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the degree of losses especially in fracture toughness of PLA when blended with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer or thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPE) after weathering. For this purpose, neat PLA, its 10 phr TPU and TPE blends were exposed to accelerated weathering conditions of both ultraviolet-irradiation cycles and moisture cycles as described in the standard of ISO 4892-3 for various periods. In general, due to the significant molecular weight reduction via chain scission reactions, drastic losses in the strength and toughness of the specimens were observed. On the other hand, in terms of %retention in the properties after weathering periods, it could be suggested that, rather than use of neat PLA, the use of its TPU or TPE blends would be still advantageous for both “indoor use” and also for “outdoor use.” © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47177.     

Compatibilisation of various PLA/thermoplastic elastomer blends with diisocyanate coupling agent

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is characterised by its inherent brittleness, a detrimental feature for the production of durable bioplastics. PLA has been toughened by a low amount (12?wt-%) of various thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) including poly(ether-b-ester) (PEEs), poly(ether-b-amide) (PEBA) and poly(ether-b-urethane) (PEU). PLA–TPE blends were prepared by using a twin screw extruder. Ductility and impact resistance can be slightly improved with the incorporation of TPEs but but PEBA appears the most efficient. Reactive compatibilisation has been performed with the addition in the melt of a low amount (2?wt-%) of 4,4-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. All compatibilised blends exhibit high toughness with similar ductility. These blends preserve good stiffness and high tensile strength. Compatibilised PEBA blends can be considered as super tough poly(lactic acid) materials. This work confirms that the flexibility of the elastomer together with the quality of the interfacial adhesion between the rigid (PLA) and the soft (TPE) phases are the primary factors influencing the toughness.     

Reactive compatibilization of PLA/TPU blends with a diisocyanate

This study focuses on the compatibilization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blends by using 1,4 phenylene diisocyanate (PDI) for the first time, as the compatibilizer. Because of the potential interactions of diisocyanates with ? OH/? COOH, they are useful for reactive processing of PLA/TPU blends in the melt processing. To have insight on the reactively compatibilized structure of PLA/TPU blends, phase morphologies are observed by means of scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical, thermal, and rheological responses of the blends are investigated. The observations are that the brittle behavior of PLA changes to ductile with the addition of TPUs. The addition of PDI improves the tensile properties of the blends. The compatibilization action of PDI is monitored with DMA and rheological experiments. Cross‐over in the G′ and G″ curves of compatibilized blends indicates the relaxation of branches formed in the presence of PDI. The dispersed phase size of TPU decreases in PLA in the presence of PDI due to the improved compatibility. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40251.     

The effect of polylactic acid (PLA)/poly‐d‐lactide stereocomplex on the thermal and mechanical properties of various PLA/rubber blends

This study investigated the effect of polylactic acid (PLA)/poly‐d ‐lactide (PDLA) stereocomplex (ST) on the improvement of the mechanical and thermal properties of various rubber‐toughened PLAs. In this work, natural rubber (NR), synthetic polyisoprene rubber (IR), silicone rubber (SI), acrylic rubber (ACM), acrylic core–shell rubber (CSR), thermoplastic copolyester (TPE) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were chosen as the toughening agents. 5 wt% PDLA was melt‐blended with PLA to form ST crystals in the presence of 15 wt% rubber in an internal mixer at 180 °C and 50 rpm. It was found that the melting temperature of ST crystal (T_m,sc) and the impact strength of ST/rubber blends were strongly correlated with the rubber domain size. For the blends of ST with compatible rubbers (ACM, CSR, TPE and TPU), the rubber domain sizes tended to be smaller with higher T_m,sc and higher impact strength than the blends with incompatible rubbers (NR, IR and SI). However, the presence of ST crystals in PLA/incompatible rubber blends, especially the blends with NR and IR, led to a significant increase in the rubber domain size and plunges in tensile toughness and impact strength. On the other hand, the presence of these crystals in PLA/compatible blends did not change the rubber size or the impact strength significantly compared with those without ST crystals except in the case of ST/ACM, which resulted in a large increase in the impact strength. Among all rubber types, CSR provided the highest impact strength for both the PLA and ST systems. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Morphologies and mechanical properties of polylactide/thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer blends

To explore a potential method for improving the toughness of a polylactide (PLA), we used a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer with a high strength and toughness and biocompatibility to prepare PLA/TPU blends suitable for a wide range of applications of PLA as general‐purpose plastics. The structure and properties of the PLA/TPU blends were studied in terms of the mechanical and morphological properties. The results indicate that an obvious yield and neck formation was observed for the PLA/TPU blends; this indicated the transition of PLA from brittle fracture to ductile fracture. The elongation at break and notched impact strength for the PLA/20 wt %TPU blend reached 350% and 25 KJ/m², respectively, without an obvious drop in the tensile strength. The blends were partially miscible systems because of the hydrogen bonding between the molecules of PLA and TPU. Spherical particles of TPU dispersed homogeneously in the PLA matrix, and the fracture surface presented much roughness. With increasing TPU content, the blends exhibited increasing tough failure. The J‐integral value of the PLA/TPU blend was much higher than that of the neat PLA; this indicated that the toughened blends had increasing crack initiation resistance and crack propagation resistance. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

SBS and SEBS block copolymers as impact modifiers for polypropylene compounds

Blends of polypropylene (PP) and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), namely SBS (styrene‐butadiene‐styrene) and SEBS (styrene‐ethylene/1‐butene‐styrene) block copolymers, were prepared to evaluate the effectiveness of the TPE type as an impact modifier for PP and influence of the concentration of elastomer on the polymer properties. Polypropylene homopolymer (PP‐H) and ethylene–propylene random copolymer (PP‐R) were evaluated as the PP matrix. Results showed that TPEs had a nucleating effect that caused the PP crystallization temperature to increase, with SBS being more effective than SEBS. Microstructure characterization tests showed that in most cases PP/SEBS blends showed the smallest rubber droplets regardless of the matrix used. It was seen that SEBS is a more effective toughening agent for PP than SBS. At 0°C the Izod impact strength of the PP‐H/SEBS 30% b/w blend was twofold higher than the SBS strength, with the PP‐R/SEBS 30% b/w blend showing no break. A similar behavior on tensile properties and flexural modulus were observed in both PP/TPE blends. Yield stress and tensile strength decreased and elongation at break increased by expanding the dispersed elastomeric phase in the PP matrix. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 254–263, 2005     

Thermoplastic elastomers from rubber and recycled polyethylene: chemical reactions at interphases for property enhancement

Recycled low density polyethylene (R‐LDPE) has been reactively compatibilized with butadiene rubber (BR) by using small additions of reactive polyethylene copolymers and reactive BRs to produce thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). TPEs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), rheology measurements, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) and mechanical testing. WAXS results show that the presence of BR and reactive modifiers does not completely prevent the crystallization of R‐LDPE during the TPE formation. Depression of the melting point has been found in all cases. Also in all cases, compatibility is provided by formation of interfacial layers. The best mechanical characteristics are obtained for R‐LDPE + BR blends compatibilized with poly(ethylene‐co‐acrylic acid) (PE‐co‐AA) and polybutadiene terminated with isocyanate groups (PB‐NCO) for PB‐NCO = 7.5 wt% per PB and COOH/NCO ratio = 1/1. The stress at break and elongation at break are respectively improved by 31 % and 63 %. The PB‐NCO modifier participates in co‐vulcanization with BR in the rubber phase and reacts at the interface with the PE‐co‐AA dissolved in the polyolefin phase. As a result, the amorphous phase of R‐LDPE is dissolved by the rubber phase and a morphology with dual phase continuity is formed, assuring an improvement of mechanical properties of TPEs. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Compatibilized TPU‐PDMS blends: Pros and cons of melt mixing and solution mixing techniques

The present work describes the influence of processing route on thermomechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) compatibilized blends. In this study, compatibilized blends of TPU and PDMS prepared by melt mixing and solution mixing techniques were compared. Ethylene methyl acrylate at different doses of 1, 2, 3, and 4 phr was used as the compatibilizer in 90:10, 80:20, and 70:30 blend ratios of TPU and PDMS. Optimum percentage of compatibilizer was same in both the methods and which was increased with the percentage of PDMS. As compared to melt mixed blends, solution mixed blends showed improved mechanical properties. From the dynamical mechanical analysis it was observed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) obtained was higher for the solution mixed blends due to the stiffer chains. The enhanced physicomechanical properties of the solution mixed blends were attributed to the improved thermal stability of the blends. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45164.     

Toward superior applications of thermoplastic elastomer blends: double Tg increase and improved ductility

With the aim of curbing air pollution and addressing climate change, the use of low density thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) in transportation could be a useful way to lighten the vehicle weight. For that, melt blending of high performance rubber and thermoplastics is an attractive way of preparing high performance TPEs. In this work, several TPEs have been prepared by melt blending of hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) with polyamide 6 (PA6), adding different amounts of carboxylated HNBR (XHNBR) as compatibilizer: 40/60/0, 40/42/18, 40/30/30 and 40/18/42 (PA6/HNBR/XHNBR). The resulting blends were investigated using melt rheological measurements, morphological observations (scanning electron microscopy and polarized optical microscopy), dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry analysis and mechanical tests. A biphasic morphology was noted for all TPEs. An increase in XHNBR amount changes the morphology from dispersed to co‐continuous. This evolution is explained by the change in the melt rheological properties of the HNBR/XHNBR rubber phase. Moreover, the introduction of 42% XHNBR resulted in an increase in the glass transition temperature of both rubber and PA6 phases. This double T_g increase phenomenon was attributed to the interfacial interactions between the carboxyl groups in XHNBR and the amine end groups in PA6. Additionally, thermal analysis revealed a reduced crystallinity of PA6 in the blend, which corresponds to enhanced interfacial interactions. The interfacial adhesion and the co‐continuous morphology resulted in an improved ductility. This study reveals the possibility of obtaining TPE blends with tunable thermal and mechanical properties by controlling both interfacial interactions and morphology. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

PBT/Thermoplastic Elastomer Blends—Mechanical,Morphological, and Rheological Characterization

The blends of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) with thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) at a blending composition of 10–30 wt.% TPE were prepared with an objective to enhance impact toughness of PBT. Two different grades of PBT were selected based on carboxyl end group and viscosity. Melting behavior, mechanical properties, morphology, and rheology of the blends were studied. At all levels of TPE, PBT showed negligible changes in its melting and crystallization temperature; however, percentage crystallinity decreased with an increase in the amount of thermoplastic elastomer. The notched as well as unnotched Izod impact strength of PBT increased with the incorporation of TPE, the increase being about 47% (unnotched) and 54% (notched) with low molecular weight PBT and 18% (unnotched) and 70% (notched) with high molecular weight PBT at 10% TPE level. The tensile strength and tensile modulus of the blends decreased steadily as the weight percent of TPE increased. Analysis of the tensile data using predicted theories indicated that at TPE levels of 30 wt.%, the blends cannot take excessive stress because the interfacial adhesion is lowered. Small angle light scattering (SALS) studies of the samples indicated the decreased rate of crystallization and, hence, an increase in spherulitic radius in the presence of TPE. The increasing incorporation of TPE in PBT/TPE blends increased the shear thinning behavior and hence eased processability.     

Enhancement of the tensile retraction properties of a styrenic block copolymer by melt blending with PA6

Styrene–ethylene‐propylene–styrene triblock copolymer (SEPS), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) was blended with polyamide‐6 (PA6) in an attempt to improve the retraction properties of the TPE. A maximum loading of 30 wt % of polyamide was incorporated into SEPS using twin‐screw compounding. Various reactive compatibilisers were also incorporated at a maximum loading of 10 wt %. The blends were evaluated in terms of their tensile, dynamic mechanical, and rheological behavior. Design of experiments (DOE) was used to study the effect of blending variables on the tensile properties of the blends. Complex interactions between these variables were identified using this approach. It was shown that by incorporating PA6 into SEPS, in conjunction with a compatibilizer, blends with superior retraction properties and increased tensile strength could be obtained. A mean hysteresis of 54.2 ± 0.7% was recorded for a blend containing 5 wt % PA6 and 4 wt % compatibilizer compared to 58.5 ± 0.5% for virgin SEPS. The tensile strength of this blend was almost 75% higher than virgin SEPS. Further evidence of the benefit of incorporating a reactive compatibilizer was the absence of a distinct polyamide relaxation in the dynamic mechanical thermograms for the compatibilized blends. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Analytical interpretations of static and dynamic mechanical properties of thermoplastic elastomer toughened PLA blends

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was melt blended with thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene‐g‐maleic anhydride (SEBS‐g‐MA) copolymer using a micro compounder which used melt recirculation approach for efficient dispersion of SEBS‐g‐MA in PLA. The SEBS‐g‐MA volume fraction (Φ_d) was varied between 0.07 and 0.48. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed 10.4 °C decrease in glass transition temperature at Φ_d = 0.48. Differential scanning calorimetry results exhibited shift in cold crystallization temperature to a higher temperature in the presence of SEBS‐g‐MA. Thermogravimetric analysis presented enhanced thermal stability of PLA/SEBS‐g‐MA blends. Tensile strength and modulus decreased while elongation‐at‐break and Izod impact strength increased in the blends. Theoretical models were employed to analyze the tensile properties of the blends in order to evaluate the blend structure. The microstructural attributes were characterized by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy of cryofractured, impact fractured, and tensile fractured surfaces. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45644.     

Morphology Evolutions and Mechanical Properties of In Situ Fibrillar Polylactic Acid/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Blends Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling

There are many studies devoted to conquer the strength–ductility trade‐off dilemma of polylactic acid (PLA) by flexible elastomer blending, like thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), but little is known about the effects of the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process on the in situ morphology evolution of the elastomers. In this work, the effects of the three successive drawing processes in FDM on the morphology evolution of the dispersed TPU in the PLA matrix, and the toughening behavior of FDM‐printed PLA/microfibrillar‐TPU blends, are systematically studied. The results manifest that the average length of the TPU microfibrils can be turned precisely from 67.24 to 103.72 µm. The in situ microfibrillation process can remarkably improve the PLA crystallization capability and interfacial interaction. More interestingly, the inevitable decrease of impact strength of FDM‐printed part induced by the voids is compensated by the network‐like TPU microfibrils formed during the layer‐by‐layer printing. These inspiring findings suggest that the in situ fibrillation process can conquer the inherent weaknesses of both FDM process and PLA materials, providing facile and efficient method for fabricating high toughness PLA parts.     

TPU/PLA nanocomposites with improved mechanical and shape memory properties fabricated via phase morphology control and incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanofillers

Shape memory polymer nanocomposites based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/polylactic acid (PLA) blends filled with pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and modified MWCNTs─COOH were fabricated by direct melt blending technique and investigated for its morphology, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and shape memory properties. Morphological characterizations by using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) revealed better dispersion of MWCNTs─COOH in the polymer blend, which is attributed to the improved interfacial interactions between the polymer blends and MWCNTs-COOH. Loading of the MWCNTs-COOH in the TPU/PLA blends resulted in the significant improvements in the mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elastic modulus and these effects are more pronounced on increasing the MWCNTs─COOH loading amount, when compared to the pristine MWCNTs filled system. Thermal analysis showed that the glass transition temperature of the blends increases slightly with increasing loading of both pristine and modified MWCNTs in the system. The resistance of nanocomposites decreased from 2 × 10¹² Ω to 3.2 × 10¹⁰ Ω after adding 3% MWCNTs─COOH. The shape memory performance tests showed that the enhancement of shape recovery by 252% could be achieved at 3% MWCNTs loading, when compared to that of TPU/PLA blends.     

Impact modification of polyacetal by thermoplastic elastomer polyurethane

The main goal of this study was impact modification of polyacetal [polyoxymethylene (POM)] with thermoplastic elastomer polyurethane (TPU). We modified the impact strength of POM 10‐fold. The mechanical properties, thermal behavior, and morphology of POM/TPU blends consisting of 5 to 50% of TPU were studied. It was found that the best impact modification of the blends was at 15% concentration of TPU and the maximum elongation at break was at 30% concentration of TPU. The impact strength of POM/TPU blends can be improved by using diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) as compatibilizer. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2573–2582, 2002     

TPU/PLA blend foams: Enhanced foamability,structural stability,and implications for shape memory foams

A series of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends are studied in terms of morphological, thermal, and rheological properties by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and rheometry. Using supercritical CO₂ batch foaming, the foamability of the blends is systematically investigated. It is found that the 80/20 (wt %/wt %) TPU/PLA blend (TPU80%) shows vastly enhanced foamability over a wide range of foaming conditions to produce foams with a myriad of cellular morphology. The foamability enhancement results from the improved cell nucleation and growth, and the changes in the polymer microstructure. Compared to elastic TPU foams, the TPU80% retain their shapes 3.4 times better. Mechanism for the enhanced stability is proposed and verified using Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts model. The materials developed in the study and the mechanistic understanding of the shape fixation process may facilitate the advancement of elastomeric foams in conventional use as well as in novel shape memory applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47416.     

Thermoplastic Elastomers Derived from Scrap Rubber Powder/LLDPE Blend with LLDPE‐graft‐(Epoxidized Natural Rubber) Dual Compatibilizer

Summary: Attempts were made to prepare thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) from scrap rubber powder (SRP) and linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) as thermoplastic polymer matrix. The solid‐phase grafted copolymer of LLDPE (LLDPE‐g‐VM) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) were used as dual compatibilizers to improve the interfacial adhesion between SRP and LLDPE. The compatibilized SRP/LLDPE blends had obviously improved the interfacial properties between SRP particles and LLDPE. Using this method, thermoplastic elastomer was prepared successfully. The mechanical properties especially elongation at break was improved significantly. SEM and TEM studies showed that the ENR/LLDPE‐g‐VM dual compatibilizer improved the distribution state of SRP particles in LLDPE and the adhesion between SRP and LLDPE. DSC results showed a distinct glass transition at 74 °C of the interfacial region. The improvement in mechanical properties was attributed to the enhanced interfacial properties of the blend.

Surface of SRP particles of the composites compatibilized by the dual compatibilizer.     

Augmentation of performance properties of maleated SEBS/TPU blends through reactive blending

Meticulous investigation of reactive blending of maleic anhydride grafted styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene (SEBS-g-MA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is carried out to achieve systems with controllable morphology and superior mechanical properties. Two types of SEBS-g-MA (abbreviated as M1, M2) with different maleic anhydride content were used to separately blend with TPU. Formation of imide group from the interaction of isocyanate and maleic anhydride predicted from the plausible reaction scheme was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. High tensile strength of the blends along with appreciable elongation at break was witnessed. Morphology analyses using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy exposed a vivid and homogenous droplet morphology in all the blends presumably due to in situ formation of a suitable copolymer at the interface. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to pursue the thermal characteristics of the blends. Melt-rheological behavior of the blends was examined using a rubber process analyzer. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48727.     

Mechanical and dielectric breakdown properties of PBT/TPE,PBT/PBT/PET,and PBT/antioxidant blends

To improve the thermal aging flexibility of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT), PBT was melt‐blended with three type thermoplastic elastomer [poly ether‐ester type (TPE1), polyester‐ester type (TPE2), and poly(buthylene 2,6‐naphthalate)/poly(tetramethylene glycol) block copolymer type (TPE3)], PBT/poly(ethylene terephthalate), (PET) alloy (Alloy), and phosphate type antioxidant (T1). The content of the three type TPEs and Alloy was fixed at 20 parts per 100 g of PBT. The morphology and thermal behavior of these blends have been investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetry (TG). In the case of PBT/Alloy‐20 and PBT/TPE3–20 blends show clean fractured surface, whereas for PBT/TPE1–20 and PBT/TPE2–20 blends, the elongated pieces or fiber can be seen abundantly which indicates a good compatibility. TG traces show a significant shift of the weight loss toward higher temperature for PBT/Alloy‐20, whereas PBT/TPE1–20, PBT/TPE2–20 and PBT/TPE3–20 blend decrease in thermal stability than PBT. To investigate the applicability for insulation material, the prepared blend samples were extruded an electric wire and flexibility and electric breakdown voltage (BDV) of wire after thermal aging were studied. For PBT/TPE1–20 and PBT/TPE2–20 blends did not show any cracks after flexibility test at 130°C for 6 h and 225°C for 30 min. In contrast PBT, PBT/Alloy‐20, PBT/TPE3–20, and PBT/T1–1 showed a partial crack in the insulation after flexibility test at 130°C for 6 h although its good flexibility at 225°C for 30 min. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009