Influence of dual compatibilizer and carbon black on mechanical and thermal properties of PP/ABS blends and their composites
Ganesh Lohar, Pankaj Tambe, Bhagwan F. Jogi
Abstract
In this work, the systematic investigation of the influence of two compatibilizers added individually or together in 80/20 (wt/wt) polypropylene (PP)/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) blends in the presence of carbon black (CB) are investigated. The compatibilizers used are PP-grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) and styrene-ethylene, butylene-styrene–grafted maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA). All the composition shows the formation of matrix-droplet morphology. The addition of both PP-g-MA and SEBS-g-MA in 80/20 (wt/wt) PP/ABS blends refines the morphology significantly as compared to 80/20 (wt/wt) PP/ABS blend in presence and absence of PP-g-MA and SEBS-g-MA individually. The average droplet diameter and interparticle distance of all the compositions were measured and correlated with crystallinity and mechanical properties of CB-filled and PP-g-MA/SEBS-g-MA-compatibilized 80/20 (wt/wt) PP/ABS blends. In addition, crystalline behaviour is correlated with the mechanical properties of CB-filled and PP-g-MA/SEBS-g-MA-compatibilized 80/20 (wt/wt) PP/ABS blends. The addition of CB up to 5 wt.% in both PP-g-MA and SEBS-g-MA in 80/20 (wt/wt) PP/ABS blends refines the morphology significantly as compared to 80/20 (wt/wt) PP/ABS blend in presence and absence of PP-g-MA and SEBS-g-MA individually. Solution experiments, interfacial tension and free wetting enthalpy calculations were done to understand the localization of CB in one phase of PP/ABS blends. Further, the addition of CB in 80/20 (wt/wt) PP/ABS blends in the presence of PP-g-MA and SEBS-g-MA added individually or together shows improved thermal stability as compared to neat blends.