Properties of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene/polycarbonate blends with styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer

The importance of alloys and blends has increased gradually in the polymer industry so that the plastics industry has moved toward complex systems. The main reasons for making polymer blends are the strengthening and the economic aspects of the resultant product. In this study, I attempted to improve compatibility in a polymer blend composed of two normally incompatible constituents, namely, acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC), through the addition of a compatibilizer. The compatibilizing agent, styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer (SBS), was added to the polymer blend in ratios of 1, 5, and 10% with a twin‐screw extruder. The morphology and the compatibility of the mixtures were examined by scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Further, all three blends of ABS/PC/SBS were subjected to examination to obtain their yield and tensile strengths, elasticity modulus, percentage elongation, Izod impact strength, hardness, heat deflection temperature, Vicat softening point, and melt flow index. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2521–2527, 2004     

Relationship between the interfacial tension and compatibility of polycarbonate and poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene) blends with reactive compatibilizers

We studied the morphological, mechanical, and rheological properties of polycarbonate (PC) and poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene) (PolyABS) blends with different types of compatibilizer. Styrene–acrylonitrile–maleic anhydride terpolymer (SAM) was used as a compatibilizer of the blends. For comparison, styrene–acrylonitrile–glycidyl methacrylate terpolymer (SAG) was also used as a compatibilizer. For the PC–PolyABS (70/30 wt %) blends with SAM, the mechanical strength and complex viscosity reached a maximum when the SAM concentration was 5 phr. The mechanical and rheological results of the blend were consistent with the morphological result that the PolyABS domain size reached a minimum when the SAM content was 5 phr. The interfacial tension (α) of the blend was compared with the compatibilizer type and content, which were calculated by the Palierne emulsion model with the relaxation time of the PC–PolyABS blend. The α is consistent with the morphological and mechanical properties of the PC–PolyABS blend. The results of the morphological, mechanical, and rheological properties of the blend suggest that SAM was a more effective compatibilizer than SAG, and the optimum compatibilizer content of SAM was 5 phr. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46418.     

Effect of styrene–isopren–styrene addition on the recycled polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene polymer blends

Interfacial agents as compatibilizers have recently been introduced into polymer blends to improve microstructure and mechanical properties of thermoplastics. In this way, it is possible to prepare a mixture of polymeric materials that can have superior mechanical properties over a wide temperature range. In this study, an incompatible blend of Polycarbonate (PC) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) Copolymer were made compatible by addition of 5, 10, and 20% Styrene–Isopren–Styrene Copolymer (SIS). The mixing operation was conducted using a twin‐screw extruder. The morphology and the compatibility of the mixtures were examined by SEM and DSC techniques. Furthermore, the elastic modulus, tensile and yield strengths, percentage elongation, hardness, melt flow index, Izod impact resistance, heat deflection temperature (HDT), Vicat softening point values of polymer alloys of various ratios were determined. It was found that addition of SIS to the structures decreased the tensile strength, yield strength, elastic modulus, and hardness, whereas it increased Izod impact strength and percentage elongation values. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 559–566, 2006     

Boiling water aging of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene resin and polycarbonate/low‐density polyester blends

The effects of boiling water on the mechanical and thermal properties and morphologies of polycarbonate (PC), PC/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene resin (PC/ABS), and PC/low‐density polyester (PC/LDPE) blends (compositions of PC/ABS and PC/LDPE blends were 80/20) were studied. PC and the PC/ABS blend had a transition from ductile to brittle materials after boiling water aging. The PC/LDPE blend was more resistant to boiling water aging than PC and the PC/ABS blend. The thermal properties of glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and melting temperature (T_m) in PC and the blends were measured by DSC. The T_g of PC and PC in the PC/ABS and PC/LDPE blends decreased after aging. The T_g of the ABS component in the PC/ABS blend did not change after aging. The supersaturated water in PC clustered around impurities or air bubbles leading to the formation of microcracks, which was the primary reason for the ductile–brittle transition in PC, and the microcracks could not recover after PC was treated at 160°C for 6 h. The PC/ABS blend showed slightly higher resistance to boiling water than did PC. The highest resistance to boiling water of the PC/LDPE blend may be attributed to its special structural morphology. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 589–595, 2003     

Morphology of nylon 6/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene blends compatibilized by a methyl methacrylate/maleic anhydride copolymer

The morphologies of nylon 6/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene blends compatibilized with a methyl methacrylate/maleic anhydride copolymer, with 3–20 wt % maleic anhydride, were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Some staining techniques were employed for identifying the various phases. The binary blends were immiscible and exhibited poor mechanical properties that stemmed from the unfavorable interactions among their molecular segments. This produced an unstable and coarse phase morphology and weak interfaces among the phases in the solid state. The presence of the copolymer in the blends clearly led to a more efficient dispersion of the acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene phase and consequently optimized Izod impact properties. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3512–3518, 2003     

Thermal aging of bisphenol-A polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene blends

Thermal aging of immiscible bisphenol-A polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (PC/ABS) blends containing 25, 60, and 75% PC and the PC and ABS blend components have been studied. Changes in Izod impact properties and dynamic mechanical spectra are reported following aging at 90, 110, and 130°C for times up to 1500 h. PC/ABS blends containing 60 and 75% PC were found to retain high impact performance following aging at elevated temperatures, compared to the PC blend component. Dynamic mechanical spectroscopy is an effective probe for investigating the structure–property changes occurring and the mechanisms of aging. For PC and ABS, the changes were mainly due to physical aging of the amorphous polymers when aged below the glass-transition temperature. For the PC/ABS blends, oxidative degradation additionally contributes to loss of toughness. Although structure–property changes are related to the behavior of the blend components, additional factors of potential importance for multiphase polymer–polymer systems have been identified, including a redistribution of stabilizers during the blend manufacture. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Compatibilization of polypropylene/Poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene) blends by polypropylene‐graft‐cardanol

The polypropylene‐graft‐cardanol (PP‐g‐cardanol) was prepared by reactive extrusion with polypropylene (PP) and natural renewable cardanol which could increase the interfacial energy of PP and inhibit the degradation of PP during the process of reactive extrusion and usage. In this article, PP‐g‐cardanol and polypropylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH) were used as compatibilizers of the polypropylene (PP)/poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene) (ABS) blends. PP/ABS (70/30, wt %) blends with PP‐g‐cardanol and PP‐g‐MAH were prepared by a corotating twin‐screw extruder. From the results of morphological studies, the droplet size of ABS was minimized to 1.93 and 2.01 μm when the content of PP‐g‐cardanol and PP‐g‐MAH up to 5 and 7 phr, respectively. The results of mechanical testing showed that the tensile strength, impact strength and flexural strength of PP/ABS (70/30) blends increase with the increasing of PP‐g‐cardanol content up to 5 phr. The complex viscosity of PP/ABS (70/30) blends with 5 phr PP‐g‐cardanol showed the highest value. Moreover, the change of impact strength and tensile strength of PP/ABS (70/30) blends were investigated by accelerated degradation testing. After 4 accelerated degradation cycles, the impact strength of the PP/ABS (70/30) blends with 5 phr PP‐g‐cardanol decrease less than 6%, but PP/ABS (70/30) blends with 5 phr PP‐g‐MAH and without compatibilizer decrease as much as 12% and 32%, respectively. The tensile strength of PP/ABS (70/30) blends has a similar tendency to that of impact strength. The above results indicated that PP‐g‐cardanol could be used as an impact modifier and a good compatibilizer, which also exhibited better stability performance during accelerated degradation testing. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41315.     

Effect of compatibilizer in acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene toughened nylon 6 blends: Ductile–brittle transition temperature

The ductile–brittle transition temperatures were determined for compatibilized nylon 6/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (PA6/ABS) copolymer blends. The compatibilizers used for those blends were methyl methacrylate‐co‐maleic anhydride (MMA‐MAH) and MMA‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate (MMA‐GMA). The ductile–brittle transition temperatures were found to be lower for blends compatibilized through maleate modified acrylic polymers. At room temperature, the PA6/ABS binary blend was essentially brittle whereas the ternary blends with MMA‐MAH compatibilizer were supertough and showed a ductile–brittle transition temperature at ?10°C. The blends compatibilized with maleated copolymer exhibited impact strengths of up to 800 J/m. However, the blends compatibilized with MMA‐GMA showed poor toughness at room temperature and failed in a brittle manner at subambient temperatures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2643–2647, 2003     

Micromechanical processes and failure phenomena in reactively compatibilized blends of polyamide 6 and styrenic polymers. I. Polyamide 6/acrylonitrile– butadiene–styrene copolymer blends

In this work, in situ investigations of the micromechanical properties of reactively compatibilized blends of polyamide 6 (PA6) and an acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene copolymer (ABS) were performed with transmission electron microscopy. Three PA6/ABS blends were prepared with a disperse morphology (inclusions of PA6 or ABS) and with a cocontinuous structure. The objective of this work was to study the deformation of the inclusions and the interface between the PA6 phase and the ABS phase. Our transmission electron microscopy investigations revealed that the morphology of the blends was strongly influenced by the asymmetric nature of the interface between PA6 and ABS. In the blends with a PA6 matrix, the interface between PA6 and the ABS inclusions was deformed in tensile deformation under uniaxial loading. A strong influence of the PA6 water content on the (micro)mechanical behavior was observed. Although the “dry” blends behaved in a brittle fashion, the “wet” blends behaved in a ductile fashion with the formation of deformation bands in the matrix (PA6 or ABS), which were initiated by stress concentration at the particles (ABS or PA6, respectively). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Mechanical properties and fracture behavior of blends of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene copolymer and crystalline engineering plastics

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the possibility of mechanically recycling blends of ABS with minor amounts of semicrystalline engineering plastics, such as polyamide, poly(ethylene terephthalate), and poly(butylene terephthalate). Compatibilizers and a core–shell impact modifier were incorporated into the blends in order to improve the mechanical properties. The toughness values, measured by the J‐integral method, and the Charpy impact strength did not always exhibit consistent results, due to the significant difference in deformation rate and in fracture mechanism. The formation of co‐continuous structures in the blends were noted and discussed. The fibrillation in the fracture surface contributed to the toughness as measured by the J‐integral method. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 2435–2448, 2002     

Phase morphology and interfacial characteristics of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile‐ethylene‐propylene‐diene‐styrene blends compatibilized by styrene‐maleic anhydride copolymers

Blends of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile ‐ ethylene‐propylene‐diene‐styrene (AES) were reactive compatibilized by styrene‐maleic anhydride copolymers (SMA). The changes in phase morphology and interfacial characteristics of the blends as a function of maleic anhydride content of SMA and the concentration of compatibilizer have been systematic studied. The occurrence of reaction between the terminal hydroxyl groups of PC and the maleic anhydride (MA) of compatibilizer was confirmed by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. A glass transition temperature (T_g) with an intermediate value between T_g(AES) and T_g(PC) was found on differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves of PC/AES blends compatibilized with SMA contains high levels of MA. Furthermore, at lower compatibilizer content, increase of the compatibilizer level in blends result in decreasing gap between two T_gs corresponding to the constituent polymers. Small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) test results indicated that compatibilizer concentration for the minimum of blend interface layer's thickness was exactly the same as it was when compatibilized PC/AES blend exhibited optimal compatibility in DSC test. The observed morphological changes were consistent well with the DSC and SAXS test results. A new mechanism of interfacial structural development was proposed to explain unusual phenomena of SMA compatibilized PC/AES blends. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42103.     

Dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene copolymer blends

Blends of polycarbonate (PC) and poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐butadiene‐co‐styrene) (ABS) with different compositions are characterized by means of dynamic mechanical measurements. The samples show phase separation. The shift in the temperatures of the main dynamic mechanical relaxation shown by the blend with respect to those of the pure components is attributed to the migration of oligomers present in the ABS toward the PC in the melt blending process. A comparison with other techniques (dielectric and calorimetric analysis) and the application of the Takayanagi three block model confirm this hypothesis. In all the studied blend compositions (ABS weight up to 28.6%) the PC appears as the matrix where a disperse phase of ABS is present. The scanning and transmission electron microscopy micrographs show that the size of the ABS particles increases when the proportion of ABS in the blend increases. The FTIR results indicate that the interaction between both components are nonpolar in nature and can be enhanced by the preparation procedure. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1507–1516, 2002     

Recycling of blends of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) and polyamide

The aim of this work is to evaluate routes to upgrade recycled engineering plastics, especially mixed plastics with acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene copolymers (ABS) as the major component. A core‐shell impact modifier was successfully used to improve the impact strength of blends of ABS and ABS/polycarbonate (PC) blends recycled from the automotive industry. However, the presence of other immiscible components like polyamide (PA), even in small amounts, can lead to a deterioration in the overall properties of the blends. A styrene–maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymer and other commercial polymer blends were used to promote the compatibilization of ABS and PA. The core‐shell impact modifier was again found to be an efficient additive with regard to the impact strength of the compatibilized ABS/PA blends. The results obtained with fresh material blends were quite promising. However, in blends of recycled ABS and glass‐fiber‐reinforced PA, the impact strength did not exhibit the desired behavior. The presence of poorly bonded glass fibers in the blend matrix was the probable reason for the poor impact strength compared with that of a blend of recycled ABS and mineral‐filled PA. Although functionalized triblock rubbers (SEBS–MA) can substantially enhance the impact strength of PA, they did not improve the impact strength of ABS/PA blends because the miscibility with ABS is poor. The possibilities of using commercial polymer blends to compatibilize otherwise incompatible polymer mixtures were also explored giving promising results. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 2535–2543, 2002     

Properties of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene/talc composites

The morphology, tensile, impact properties, and thermal expansion behavior of polycarbonate (PC)/acrylonitrile‐styrene‐butadiene (ABS)/talc composites with different compositions and mixing sequences were investigated. From the studies of morphology of the PC/ABS/talc composites, it was observed that some talc particles were located in both the PC and the ABS phases of the blend but most were at the interface between the PC and ABS phases for every mixing sequence. Aspect ratios of the talc particles determined by TEM image analysis reasonably matched values computed from tensile modulus using composite theory. The thermal expansion behavior, or CTE values, was not significantly influenced by the mixing sequence. The impact strength of the PC/ABS/talc composites depended significantly on the mixing sequence; a premix with PC gave the poorest toughness. The molecular weight of the PC in PC/talc composites was found to be significantly decreased. It appears that the impact strength of the PC/ABS/talc composites is seriously compromised by the degradation of the PC caused by talc. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Compatibilization of styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer in polypropylene/polystyrene blends by analysis of phase morphology

Effect of compatibilization of styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) block copolymer in polypropylene/polystyrene (PP/PS) blends was studied by means of small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). According to SAXS, a certain amount of SBS was located at the interface in all the analyzed samples, forming the relatively thicker interface layer penetrating into homopolymers, and the thickness of the interface layer was quantified in terms of Porod light scattering theory. The incorporation of SBS into PP/PS blends resulted in a decrease in domain size following an emulsification curve as well as an uniform size distribution, and consequently, a fine dispersion of PP domains in the PS matrix. This effect was more pronounced when the concentration of SBS was higher. A critical concentration of SBS of 15% above which the interface layer approaches to saturation and domain size attains a steady‐state was observed. Further, the morphology fluctuation of unetched fracture surface of umcompatibilized and compatibilized blends was analyzed using an integral constant Q based on Debye‐Bueche light scattering theories. Variation of Q as a function of the concentration of SBS showed that, due to the penetrating interface layer, adhesion between phases was improved, making it possible for applied stress to transfer between phases and leading to more uniform stress distribution when blends were broken; accordingly, a more complicated morphology fluctuation of fracture surface appeared. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103:365–370, 2007     

Polylactide toughening with epoxy‐functionalized grafted acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene particles

Glycidyl methacrylate functionalized acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS‐g‐GMA) particles were prepared and used to toughen polylactide (PLA). The characteristic absorption at 1728 cm^?1 of the Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated that glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was grafted onto the polybutadiene phase of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS). Chemical reactions analysis indicated that compatibilization and crosslinking reactions took place simultaneously between the epoxy groups of ABS‐g‐GMA and the end carboxyl or hydroxyl groups of PLA and that the increase of GMA content improved the reaction degree. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that 1 wt % GMA was sufficient to satisfy the compatibilization and that ABS‐g‐GMA particles with 1 wt % GMA dispersed in PLA uniformly. A further increase of GMA content induced the agglomeration of ABS‐g‐GMA particles because of crosslinking reactions. Dynamic mechanical analysis testing showed that the miscibility between PLA and ABS improved with the introduction of GMA onto ABS particles because of compatibilization reactions. The storage modulus decreased for the PLA blends with increasing GMA content. The decrease in the storage modulus was due to the chemical reactions in the PLA/ABS‐g‐GMA blends, which improved the viscosity and decreased the crystallization of PLA. A notched impact strength of 540 J/m was achieved for the PLA/ABS‐g‐GMA blend with 1 wt % GMA, which was 27 times than the impact strength of pure PLA, and a further increase in the GMA content in the ABS‐g‐GMA particles was not beneficial to the toughness improvement. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Effect of antioxidants on properties and morphology of poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene)/polycarbonate blends

Poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene), polycarbonate (PC), and two types of antioxidants have been blended by an extruder twin screw. Notched Izod impact strength, tensile property, and melting flow index (MFI) were measured for the blends including different amounts of antioxidants, and morphology of the blends was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antioxidant action, especially on mechanical properties and the phase structure of the blends, has been studied for the undergraded samples. It was found that the phenolic antioxidant, tetrakis (3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamoyloxy-methyl) methane, C₇₃H₁₀₈O₁₂, whose commercial name is KY-7910, and phosphite antioxidant, triphenyl phosphite (TPP), (C₆H₅O)₃P, all decrease the Izod impact strength and tensile modulus of the blends and increase the elongation at break if a small amount of the antioxidants (such as less than 0.7%) was mixed into the blends. When the content of the antioxidants is increased, surpassing 0.7%, KY-7910 has little effect on impact property of the blends, but TPP made the Izod impact strength decrease and the MFI increase to a great degree. SEM results show that the two phases of ABS/PC with a weight ratio of 30/70 is cocontinuous; this structure is destroyed by addition of the two antioxidants, and in ABS/PC/antioxidants blends, the size of the ABS phase, as dispersion, does not change not much with increasing KY-7910 content, but becomes more scattered and greater with increasing content of TPP. These results are consistent with the mechanical tests. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The vibration welding of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene blends to themselves and to other resins and blends

The weldabilities of two commercial blends of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) to themselves and to several other resins and blends are assessed through 120 Hz vibration welds of 6.35‐ and 3.2‐mm‐thick specimens. While the thicker specimens of both blends have relative weld strengths of 83%, the thinner specimens in one of the grades have a lower relative weld strength of 73%. Welds of thicker specimens of both grades to PC have relative strengths of 85%. Again, welds of thinner specimens of one of the grades to PC have a lower relative strengths of 68%. Welds of the thinner specimens of this grade with ABS have relative strengths of 85%. Welds of this material with poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT), a PC/PBT blend, modified poly(phenylene oxide), and a poly(phenylene oxide)/polyamide blend, have relative weld strengths of 45%, 26%, 76%, and 20%, respectively.     

Melt processing,mechanical, and fatigue crack propagation properties of reactively compatibilized blends of polyamide 6 and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene copolymer

Within a IUPAC study, melt processing, mechanical, and fatigue crack growth properties of blends of polyamide 6 (PA 6) and poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene) (ABS) were investigated. We focused on the influence of reactive compatibilization on blend properties using a styrene–acrylonitrile–maleic anhydride random terpolymer (SANMA). Two series of PA 6/ABS blends with 30 wt % PA 6 and 70 wt % PA 6, respectively, were prepared with varying amounts of SANMA. Our experiments revealed that the morphology of the matrix (PA 6 or ABS) strongly affects the blend properties. The viscosity of PA 6/ABS blends monotonically increases with SANMA concentration because of the formation of high‐molecular weight graft copolymers. The extrudate swell of the blends was much larger than that of neat PA 6 and ABS and decreased with increasing SANMA concentrations at a constant extrusion pressure. This observation can be explained by the effect of the capillary number. The fracture resistance of these blends, including specific work to break and impact strength, is lower than that of PA 6 or ABS alone, but increases with SANMA concentration. This effect is most strongly pronounced for blends with 70 wt % PA 6. Fatigue crack growth experiments showed that the addition of 1–2 wt % SANMA enhances the resistance against crack propagation for ABS‐based blends. The correlation between blend composition, morphology and processing/end‐use properties of reactively compatibilized PA 6/ABS blends is discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012