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Influence of the incorporation of fine calcium carbonate particles on the impact strength of polypropylene/polystyrene‐ block ‐poly(ethylene butene)‐ block ‐polystyrene blends
Author(s) -
Hikasa Shigeki,
Nagata Kazuya,
Miyahara Kenji,
Izumi Toshihiro,
Suda Toshiya,
Toyohara Asami,
Kato Atushi,
Nakamura Yoshinobu
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.30643
Subject(s) - materials science , izod impact strength test , polypropylene , composite number , composite material , polystyrene , calcium carbonate , copolymer , scanning electron microscope , polymer , ultimate tensile strength
The Izod impact strength of two kinds of ternary composites was investigated. One consisted of polypropylene (PP), the triblock copolymer polystyrene‐ block ‐poly(ethylene butene)‐ block ‐polystyrene (SEBS), and calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) particles, and the other consisted of PP, carboxylated SEBS (C‐SEBS), and CaCO 3 particles. The mean size of the CaCO 3 particles was about 160 nm. According to scanning electron microscopy observations, the composite with SEBS showed a morphology in which SEBS domains and CaCO 3 particles were independently dispersed in the PP matrix. On the other hand, the composite with C‐SEBS showed a morphology in which CaCO 3 particles were encapsulated by C‐SEBS; that is, a core–shell structure was formed. The Izod impact strength of the composite with SEBS was higher than that of the composite with C‐SEBS and the PP/SEBS and PP/C‐SEBS binary blends. According to observations of the fractured surface, the stress‐whitened area was larger in the composite with SEBS than in the composite with C‐SEBS and the PP/SEBS and PP/C‐SEBS binary blends. The toughening mechanism of the composite, using nanometer‐sized CaCO 3 particles in combination with SEBS, was examined. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009