Polylactide toughening with epoxy‐functionalized grafted acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene particles

Abstract

Glycidyl methacrylate functionalized acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS-g-GMA) particles were prepared and used to toughen polylactide (PLA). The characteristic absorption at 1728 cm À1 of the Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated that glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was grafted onto the polybutadiene phase of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). Chemical reactions analysis indicated that compatibilization and crosslinking reactions took place simultaneously between the epoxy groups of ABS-g-GMA and the end carboxyl or hydroxyl groups of PLA and that the increase of GMA content improved the reaction degree. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that 1 wt % GMA was sufficient to satisfy the compatibilization and that ABS-g-GMA particles with 1 wt % GMA dispersed in PLA uniformly. A further increase of GMA content induced the agglomeration of ABS-g-GMA particles because of crosslinking reactions. Dynamic mechanical analysis testing showed that the miscibility between PLA and ABS improved with the introduction of GMA onto ABS particles because of compatibilization reactions. The storage modulus decreased for the PLA blends with increasing GMA content. The decrease in the storage modulus was due to the chemical reactions in the PLA/ ABS-g-GMA blends, which improved the viscosity and decreased the crystallization of PLA. A notched impact strength of 540 J/m was achieved for the PLA/ABS-g-GMA blend with 1 wt % GMA, which was 27 times than the impact strength of pure PLA, and a further increase in the GMA content in the ABS-g-GMA particles was not beneficial to the toughness improvement.

Properties and medical applications of polylactic acid: A review

“…This facilitated the pull-out of the copolymers generated from the interface to the PLA matrix, leading to the generation of more co-polymers in the interfacial regions and the finer distribution of the EGMA phase. In a work reported by Sun et al [32], ABS-grafted glycidyl methacrylate (ABS-g-GMA) was used as a toughening agent. They showed that the impact strength and elongation at a break of PLA could be improved by incorporating ABS-g-GM.…”

Influence of Processing Parameters and Composition on the Effective Compatibilization of Polypropylene–Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Blends

“…Previous studies (Ihm and White, 1996;Heino et al, 1997;Papadopoulou and Kalfoglou, 2000;Pracella et al, 2002) to the effectiveness of compatibilizers can be found in literature, but quite often they compare (commercially available) compatibilizing agents with different grafting contents. As the grafting content is known to influence the degree of reaction (Sun et al, 2011) and thereby the compatibilization effect, it remains quite difficult to draw straightforward conclusions as to the actual effectiveness of the individual compatibilizer chains and their grafted functional groups. Within the current study, the grafting content is therefore explicitly the same for all compatibilizers.…”

“…Within the current study, the grafting content is therefore explicitly the same for all compatibilizers. Additionally, a low grafting content is taken to avoid agglomeration of the functional groups (Sun et al, 2011) and to maintain economic viability of the proposed solutions.…”

Poly(butylene terephthalate) Toughening with Butadiene-Epoxy-Functionalized Methyl Methacrylate Core–Shell Copolymer

“…Sun et al explored the use of glycidyl methacrylate functionalized acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS-g-GMA) core-shell particles to toughen PBT. [39] This ABS-g-GMA copolymer contained reactive epoxy groups which could react with PBT end groups under melt conditions. Thus, the interfacial tension decreased between PBT and blends.…”