pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: Blends, Reactive Systems & Elastomers
Oral Presentation
 
 

Effect of viscosity ratio and interfacial tension of blend partners on the morphology in skin and core of injection molded parts and the mechanical properties of PC/ABS blends

Hartlieb Stefanie (1)*, Seidel Andreas (2), Kersch Michaela (1), Hufen Ralf (2), Hobeika Sven (2), Altstädt Volker (1)

(1) University of Bayreuth - Bayreuth - Germany, (2) Bayer MaterialScience AG - Leverkusen - Germany

PC/ABS blends are among the most important commercial polymer blends. Industrial success of these blends is the result of the unique combination of the high heat distortion temperature of the polycarbonate, the good processability of the ABS and a synergistic improvement of low-temperature ductility. Until now there have been no systematic studies published investigating the effect of blend composition and processing on the phase morphologies in the skin versus the core of injection molded PC/ABS blend specimen and their correlation with surface and bulk properties, respectively. This work investigates the effect of a) melt viscosities of PC and ABS, both individually and their ratio, b) interfacial tension by compatibilization and c) injection molding parameters on the morphology in core and skin and the mechanical performance of injection molded parts made of PC/ABS blends. While the skin in most cases shows a lamellar phase structure, the TEM micrographs of the core demonstrate a much stronger effect of both PC:ABS viscosity ratio and phase compatibilization. In the core both lamellar, dispersed and co-continuous morphologies are observed depending on blend composition and processing parameters. Correlations of mechanical performance of the blend with phase morphology and inherent properties of the blend partners will be discussed. Further, the dependence of phase dispersion in injection molded parts on viscosity ratios and interfacial tension of the blends partners will be compared to findings reported in the literature for compounded pellets.