Improvement of impact strength and hydrolytic stability of PC/ABS blend using reactive polymer

Polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (PC/ABS) blends have been used widely for specific applications such as in automotive interior and exterior parts, and for office automation equipment parts. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a reactive polymer as a modifier on properties such as the impact strength of PC/ABS blends. A reaction between PC and maleic anhydride group cannot usually be expected because the end hydroxyl group of PC is capped with an end‐capping agent such as t‐butylphenol to improve PC properties such as fluidity, thermal resistance, and impact strength. However, a reactive polymer that has a maleic anhydride group reacts with the end hydroxyl group of PC hydrolyzed with metal salts. Results show that PC/ABS with a reactive polymer exhibits improved impact strength. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44550.