Synergistic effects of Janus particles and triblock terpolymers on toughness of immiscible polymer blends

Publication date: 27 January 2017
Source:Polymer, Volume 109
Author(s): Ronak Bahrami, Tina I. Löbling, Holger Schmalz, Axel H.E. Müller, Volker Altstädt
By influencing both the interfacial adhesion and the morphology, compatibilizers determine the mechanical properties of polymer blends. Here, we study the mechanical properties, in particular the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) of immiscible blends of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether)/poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (PPE/SAN), compatibilized with Janus nanoparticles (JPs) and linear polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (SBM) triblock terpolymers. Synergistic effects of a mixture of both compatibilizers improve the FCP behavior and reveal the important role of interface stiffness and flexibility on the mechanical properties of polymer blends. The triblock terpolymer and JPs allow at the same time an elastic and stiff linkage at the blend interface and induce multiple deformation mechanisms such as crack bridging and matrix fibrillation that can dissipate energy and contribute to an improved FCP behavior. The presented concept allows tailoring macro-mechanical properties of immiscible polymer blends by adjusting blend morphology and interfacial properties.

Graphical abstract

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