The preparation and properties of compatibilized nylon 6/ABS blends using functionalized polybutadiene. Part I: Impact properties

Abstract

The impact behaviors of nanoclay filled nylon 6 (nano-nylon 6) or nylon 6 blended with poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) terpolymers (ABS) were investigated here using polybutadiene grafted maleic anhydride (PB-g-MA) as a compatibilizer to enhance interphase interaction. It is found that impact strength increases slightly for nano-nylon 6/ABS blend system with the addition of compatibilizer at various ABS compositions, but increases to a certain degree for nylon 6/ABS case. Similar effects are also found with decreasing test temperature, especially at a blend composition of 80/20. These discrepancies are attributed to a different degree of available reaction sites from amine group on nano-nylon 6 and nylon 6 as well as the rigidity of clay in deteriorating toughness. As for thermal properties, the heat distortion temperature shows marginally decrease in the nano-nylon 6/ABS blend. Through morphology observations, the etched ABS particle sizes tend to decrease with the additions of compatibilizer for both blends, but are larger with higher contents of ABS concentrations. Those observations account for impact behaviors of the investigated blends. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1461–1470, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers