Morphology and rheological properties of silica-filled poly(carbonate)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

Abstract

The effect of silica nanoparticles on the morphology and the rheological properties was investigated in the immiscible polymer blend poly(carbonate)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PC/PMMA). In the melt state, the linear viscoelastic properties of the nanocomposite showed a reduction effect of the silica nanoparticles on the mobility of one of the polymer which is related to the state of distribution of the silica nanoparticles. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica particles were used to study particle migration and their effects on the morphology and it was shown that the distribution of the nanoparticles depends on the balance of interactions between the surface of the particles and the polymer components. The effect on the coarsening kinetics was investigated in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica-filled blends. Compared to the hydrophilic silica, a better compatibilization can be obtained by introducing the hydrophobic silica particles at the PC/PMMA interface as the solid barrier. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1951–1959, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers