Studies on morphology and thermomechanical performance of ABS/PC/organoclay hybrids

In the present research, poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene)/polycarbonate (ABS/PC) blends were prepared in a twin screw extruder. An attempt to reinforce and promote compatibility of the above systems was made by the incorporation of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT, Cloisite 30B), as well as by the addition of compatibilizer (ABS grafted with maleic anhydride, ABS‐g‐MAH), and the effect of those treatments on the morphology, thermal transitions, rheological, and mechanical properties of the above blends was evaluated. The addition of compatibilizer in ABS/PC blends does not significantly affect the glass transition temperature (Tg) of SAN and PC phases, whereas the incorporation of Cloisite 30B decreases slightly the Tg values of SAN and, more significantly, that of PC in compatibilized and uncompatibilized blends. The Tg of PB phase remains almost unaffected in all the examined systems. The obtained results suggest partial dissolution of the polymeric components of the blend and, therefore, a modified Fox equation was used to assess the amount of PC dissolved in the SAN phase of ABS and vice versa.Reinforcing with OMMT enhances the miscibility of ABS and PC phases in ABS/PC blends and gives the best performance in terms of tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and storage modulus, especially in 50/50 (w/w) ABS/PC blends. The addition of ABS‐g‐MAH compatibilizer, despite the improvement of intercalation process in organoclay/ABS/PC nanocomposites, did not seem to have any substantial effect on the mechanical properties of the examined blends. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:1395–1407, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers