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Meticulous analysis and consequences of microstructure changes on melt rheology and dynamic viscoelasticity of thermoplastic vulcanizates upon reprocessing
Author(s) -
Dey Pranab,
Naskar Kinsuk,
Nando Golok B.,
Dash Biswaranjan,
Nair Sujith,
Unnikrishnan G.
Publication year - 2014
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.41182
Subject(s) - materials science , elastomer , thermoplastic elastomer , vulcanization , microstructure , composite material , rheology , viscoelasticity , natural rubber , thermoplastic , curing (chemistry) , polymer , copolymer
Thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), which are a special class of elastomer alloy, prepared by dynamic vulcanization possess unique morphology of finely dispersed micron‐size cross‐linked elastomeric particles in a continuous thermoplastic matrix. The present study investigates the microstructure formation of elastomeric phase and its associated morphological changes during reprocessing of TPVs based on poly[styrene‐ b ‐(ethylene‐ co ‐butylene)‐ b ‐styrene] triblock co‐polymer (S‐EB‐S) and solution polymerized styrene butadiene elastomer (S‐SBR) by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Semi‐efficient and efficient sulfur‐based curing systems have been adopted to cure the elastomeric phase and a comparative study has been made to demonstrate and explain the effect of reprocessing on the melt rheology and dynamic viscoelasticity of the TPVs. The present work also provides a better insight and guidance to control the microstructure of the cross‐linked elastomeric phase to prepare selectively co‐continuous or dispersed phase morphology. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131 , 41182.