Production of Toughened Poly(phenylene sulfide) by Reactive Extrusion Processing.

Abstract

For use as electrical and electronics parts, automobile and mechanical parts, toughened poly (phenylene sulfide) (PPS) is desired. Our investigation centered on improving the toughness of PPS and developing elastomer toughened PPS. Using chemically-treated PPS and an olefinic elastomer with a functional group, we developed elastomer toughened-PPS using a reactive extrusion processing method. In the PPS matrix, the elastomer is finely dispersed. While the notched Izod impact strength of the original PPS is about 10 J/m, elastomer-toughened PPS has a notched Izod impact strength of around 500 J/m. The notched fracture surface of elastomer-toughened PPS is observed by using a scanning electron microscope. We concluded that the mechanism for the toughening is attributed to energy absorption by matrix yield. We checked how the difference in the reactive extrusion processing method affects the elastomer dispersion. When PPS and olefinic elastomer were extruded without a chemical modifier, it gave a large elastomer particle size and brittle material. When PPS and olefinic elastomer were extruded with a chemical modifier (this reactive extrusion process is called the one-step extrusion), it gave a mixed combination of elastomer with large and small particle sizes and a tough material. When chemically modified PPS was extruded with olefinic elastomer (this reactive extrusion process is called the two-step extrusion), it gave a uniformly dispersed elastomer with a small particle size. Considering the fact that both the reactive one-step extrusion and two-step extrusion methods gave a tough material with a same order, elastomer particles with a small size were thought to contribute to the toughness of PPS.