Reactive blending of nylon12/NR with PS/NR/MA

Abstract

Polyamide12 (Nylon12)/Natural Rubber (NR)/Compatibilizer blends are prepared by melt blending in Brabender Plasticorder with various content of the compatibilizers. The compatibilizers were poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrent] (SEBS), SEBS grafted by maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA), polystyrene-natural rubber (PS-NR) and polystyrene-natural rubber-maleic anhydride copolymer (PS-NR-MA), made by free radical reaction in the Brabender mixer. The effect of blend composition on morphology are studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and related to the mechanical properties (tensile properties and impact energy). Moreover, the rheological properties are studied by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). In [Nylon12/NR]/Compatibilizer blends, a core-shell morphology was formed consisting of a Nylon12 core and a NR shell in Nylon12 matrix. Compatibilizer acted as adhesive between Nylon12 core, NR shell, and Nylon12 matrix. The optimum compatibilizer content in mechanical proprties was found at 2 phr by weight of [80/20] [Nylon12/NR]blend. The higher mechanical property than the SEBS and SEBS-g-MA blends was shown in the [Nylong12/NR]/[PSNRMA] blends that could be due to the PS hard segment and NR crosslinking in PSNRMA blend.