Blends of recycled polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene: comparing the effect of reactive compatibilizers on mechanical and morphological properties

Abstract

Blends of recycled polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) were prepared and some mechanical and morphological properties were investigated. To compatibilize these blends, ABS-g-(maleic anhydride) (ABS-g-MA) and (ethylene–vinyl acetate)-g-(maleic anhydride) (EVA-g-MA) with similar degree of grafting of 1.5% were used. To compare the effect of the type of compatibilizer on mechanical properties, blends were prepared using 3, 5 and 10 phr of each compatibilizer. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder was used for blending. The results showed that ABS-g-MA had no significant effect on the tensile strength of the blends while EVA-g-MA decreased the tensile strength, the maximum decrease being about 9.6% when using 10 phr of this compatibilizer. The results of notched Charpy impact strength tests showed that EVA-g-MA increased the impact strength of blends more than ABS-g-MA. The maximum value of this increase occurred when using 5 phr of each compatibilizer, it being about 54% for ABS-g-MA and 165% for EVA-g-MA. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed that the particle size of the dispersed phase was decreased in the continuous phase of PC by using the compatibilizers. Moreover, a blend without compatibilizer showed brittle behaviour while the blends containing compatibilizer showed ductile behaviour in fracture. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry