Abstract
The objective of this work was to study the compatibilizer effect on polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) blends. The blends were coextruded and injection molded in various ratios of ABS with and without compatibilizers. Universal testing machine was employed to analyze the tensile properties of basic PP/ABS binary blends. From the mechanical testing, the impact and tensile properties of PP/ABS blend were optimized at 80/20 weight ratio. Various compatibilizers such as PP-g-MAH, SEBS-g-MAH and ethylene α-olefin copolymer were used and their comparative performance on binary blend was enumerated. Hybrid compatibilization effect was also studied and reported. However, the addition of compatibilizers showed the maximum increase in impact strength attributed to rubber toughening effect of ABS. The effect of compatibilizers on morphological properties was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM micrographs depicted the more efficient dispersion of ABS particles in PP matrix with the addition of compatibilizers. Further, interparticle distance analysis was carried out to evaluate the rubber toughening effect. The ABS droplet size in compatibilized PP/ABS blend was brought to minimum of 3.2 μm from 9.9 μm with the addition of compatibilizers. The melt rheology of PP/ABS blend systems was investigated through parallel plate arrangement in frequency sweep. Linear viscoelastic properties like storage (G′) and loss (G″) modulus and complex viscosity (η*) have been reported with reference to the virgin materials. It is understood that the combination of compatibilizers (hybrid compatibilizer) had a considerable effect on the overall blend properties.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Shashidhara GM, Devaraj B, Subhalakshmi PB, Kadiyala AK, Wasim FGS, Ganesh M (2009) Effect of PP-g-MAH compatibilizer content in polypropylene/nylon-6 blends. Polym Bull 63:147–157
Duxin L, Demin J, Ping Z (2004) Compatibilization of polypropylene/nylon 6 blends with a polypropylene solid-phase graft. J Appl Polym Sci 93:420–427
Tavanaei H, Morshed M, Hosseini SM (2003) Effects of on-line melt blending of polypropylene with polyamide 6 on the bulk and strength of the resulting BCF yarn. Iran Polym J 12:421–430
Yin Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Yin J (1998) Effects of the compatibilizer PP-g-GMA on morphology and mechanical properties of PP/PC blends. Polymer 39:547–551
Gupta AK, Srinivasan KR (1993) Melt rheology and morphology of PP/SEBS/PC ternary blend. J Appl Polym Sci 47:167–184
Oromiehie A, Meldrum IG (1999) Characterization of polyethylene terephthalate and functionalized polypropylene blends in different methods. Iran Polym J 8:193–204
Adriana MCS, Patrícia SC, Nicole RD (2013) Linear viscoelastic behavior of compatibilized PMMA/PP blends. J Appl Polym Sci 129:1280–1289
Ticiane SV, Augusto TM, Nicole RD (2006) Study of morphologies of PMMA/PP/PS ternary blends. Macromolecules 39:2663–2675
Patrícia SC, Marcio Y, Nicole RD (2005) Effect of composition on the linear viscoelastic behavior and morphology of PMMA/PS and PMMA/PP blends. Polymer 46:2610–2620
Markin C, Williams HL (1980) Polypropylene/ABS terpolymer blends. Mixing and mechanical properties. J Appl Polym Sci 25:2451–2466
Gupta AK, Jain AK, Ratnam BK, Maiti SN (1989) Studies on binary and ternary blends of polypropylene with ABS and LDPE. I. Melt rheological behavior. J Appl Polym Sci 38:1699–1717
Gupta AK, Jain AK, Ratnam BK, Maiti SN (1990) Studies on binary and ternary blends of polypropylene with ABS and LDPE. II. Impact and tensile properties. J Appl Polym Sci 39:515–530
Frounchi M, Burford RP (1993) State of compatibility in crystalline polypropylene/ABS amorphous terpolymer thermoplastic blends. Effect of styrenic copolymers as compatibilizers. Iran J Polym Sci Technol 2:59–68
Lee HG, Sung YT, Lee YK, Kim WN, Yoon HG, Lee HS (2009) Effects of PP-g-MAH on the mechanical, morphological and rheological properties of polypropylene and poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) blends. Macromol Res 17:417–423
Peng J, Peng XF, Turng LS, Xie XL (2009) Effect of organoclay on the mechanical properties and crystallization behaviors of injection-molded PP/ABS/montmorillonite nanocomposites. Soc Plast Eng ANTEC 2:1105–1108
Rupesh AK, Arup RB, Ajit RK (2011) Melt-mixed polypropylene/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends with multiwall carbon nanotubes: effect of compatibilizer and modifier on morphology and electrical conductivity. J Appl Polym Sci 120:2663–2672
Yun KL, Jae BL, Dong HP, Woo NK (2013) Effects of accelerated aging and compatibilizers on the mechanical and morphological properties of polypropylene and poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) blends. J Appl Polym Sci 127:1032–1037
Kum CK, Sung YT, Kim YS, Lee HG, Kim WN (2007) Effects of compatibilizer on mechanical, morphological, and rheological properties of polypropylene/poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) blends. Macromol Res 15:308–314
Patel AC, Ragesh B, Brahmabhatt RB, Devi S (2003) Mechanical properties and morphology of PP/ABS blends compatibilized with PP-g-2-HEMA. J Appl Polym Sci 88:72–78
Patel AC, Brahmabhatt RB, Sarawade BD, Devi S (2001) Morphological and mechanical properties of PP/ABS blends compatibilized with PP-g-acrylic acid. J Appl Polym Sci 81:1731–1741
Arostequi A, Nazabal J (2003) Critical inter-particle distance dependence and super-toughness in poly(butylenes terephthalate)/grafted poly(ethylene-octane) copolymer blends by means of polyarylate addition. Polymer 44:5227–5237
Robeson LM (2007) In: Polymers blends: a comprehensive review, Chapter 3, Hanser
Wong SC, Mai WM (1999) Effect of rubber functionality on microstructures and fracture toughness of impact-modified nylon 6,6/polypropylene blends: 1. Structure–property relationships. Polymer 40:1553–1566
Montoya M, Abad MJ, Barral L, Bernal C (2006) Mechanical and fracture behavior of polypropylene/poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) blends compatibilized with ionomer Na+. Eur Polym J 42:265–273
Salari D, Ranjbar H (2008) Study on the recycling of ABS resins: simulation of reprocessing and thermo-oxidation. Iran Polym J 17:599–610
Taheri M, Morshedian J, Esfandeh M, Vahidi A (2006) Reactive compatibilization of SAN/EPDM blend and study of the parameters affecting its properties. Iran Polym J 15:955–965
Suleiman MA, Hussein IA, Williams MC (2011) Rheological investigation of the influence of short chain branching and Mw of LDPE on the melt miscibility of LDPE/PP blends. Open Macromol J 5:13–19
Kwag H, Rana D, Soonja C (2000) Melt rheology of binary blends of metallocene polypropylene with conventional polyolefins. J Ind Eng Chem 6:107–114
Lee HM, Ok Park O (1994) Rheology and dynamics of immiscible polymer blends. J Rheol 38:1405–1425
Khan MMK, Liang RF, Gupta RK, Agarwal S (2005) Rheological and mechanical properties of ABS/PC blends. Korea Aust Soc Rheol J 170:1–7
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bonda, S., Mohanty, S. & Nayak, S.K. Influence of compatibilizer on mechanical, morphological and rheological properties of PP/ABS blends. Iran Polym J 23, 415–425 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-014-0236-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-014-0236-9