Compatibility and toughening mechanism of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/polycarbonate blends

Abstract

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/polycarbonate (PC) blends with methyl methacrylate-styrene-butadiene copolymer as compatibilizer (CP) were prepared. Compared with pure PET, the notched impact strength of the blend was improved significantly, while high tensile strength and 50%-70% optical transparency could be maintained. In particular, for the PET/70 wt% PC sample the notched impact strength sharply increased by 955% with the addition of compatibilizer. The ΔT g of the two phases of the blends decreased on blending, exhibiting partial compatibility. Below 50 wt% PC, the dispersed PC phase presented uneven dispersion with large aggregates and a clear interface, while above 50 wt% PC a reverse phase transformation occurred and the PET phase was evenly dispersed in the PC matrix with small aggregates and obvious interface transition areas. The introduction of CP promoted spherical PC particles to uniformly disperse in the matrix, and the interface transition area of the two phases became very wide. Moreover, the CP itself ran through the matrix to form a 'quasi-network distribution' and the compatibility was greatly improved, thus leading to an obvious enhancement of the impact toughness of the blend.

Effect of Entanglement Density on Mechanical Properties and the Deformation Mechanism of Rubber‐Modified PPO/PS Blends

“…[1,2] Many researchers have effectively DOI: 10.1002/mame.202200325 improved the toughening effect of rubber by exploring the toughening mechanism of rubber. [3][4][5] Under loading, rubber microparticles concentrate stress and cavitate, which facilitates the crazing or shear yielding of polymer matrices around the rubber particles. [6][7][8][9][10][11] Researchers have explored the toughening mechanism of rubber to obtain a method to control the toughening effect of rubber and achieve the balance of stiffness and toughness in materials.…”

Polycarbonate/poly(methyl methacrylate)/silica aerogel blend composites for advanced transparent thermal insulations: Mechanical, thermal, and optical studies

“…However, PC suffers from some disadvantages including poor scratch resistance, significant ductility, sensitivity to UV radiation, and stress birefringence, which must be addressed for durable applications. [ 9–11 ] On the other hand, although poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) possesses various merits such as UV resistance, poor weatherability, low price, great surface hardness, and generally good chemical resistance, it has low thermomechanical stability, poor impact strength, and low dimensional stability. Hence, PMMA is used in various applications, such as automobile and aircraft windows and lenses.…”