Miscible blends from rigid poly(vinyl chloride) and epoxidized natural rubber

Abstract

Mechanical properties and fracture of melt-blended poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) having 50 mol % epoxidation level are studied at different compositions. The effect of blend ratio on tensile strength, tear strength, elongation at break, tension set after failure, and hardness are determined. The stress-strain behaviour of low ENR blends exhibits yielding and necking, whereas that of high ENR blends exhibits soft elastomeric deformation. At higher compositions of ENR, plots of tensile strength, tear strength, and hardness against blend composition are concave in nature; and plots of the elongation at break deviate markedly from the additive value with a pronounced maximum occurring at the 70wt% composition of ENR. The scanning electron microscopic examination of fracture surfaces of blends does not show any features of phase separation of ENR or PVC. The tensile fracture surface of rigid PVC exhibits partially fused particle structures of PVC and that of blends exhibits features of shearing and horizontal discontinuous striations. The torn surface of rigid PVC shows evidence of intrinsic crazing and that of blends shows features of shear fibrils, vertically changed discontinuous striations, steps, and unstable and stable tear fronts.