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Compatibilization of poly(lactic acid)/high impact polystyrene interface using copolymer poly(stylene‐ran‐methyl acrylate)
Author(s) -
Gong Xinghou,
Gao Xiang,
Tang Chak Yin,
Law WingCheung,
Chen Ling,
Hu Tao,
Wu Chonggang,
Tsui Chi Pong,
Rao Nanxi
Publication year - 2018
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.45799
Subject(s) - materials science , differential scanning calorimetry , compatibilization , rheometry , ultimate tensile strength , izod impact strength test , copolymer , polystyrene , composite material , methyl acrylate , acrylate , dynamic mechanical analysis , crystallinity , polymer chemistry , polymer blend , rheology , polymer , physics , thermodynamics
In this work, a surfactant‐free emulsion polymerization method was utilized to synthesize poly(styrene‐ran‐methyl acrylate) (PSMA) at a styrene/(methyl acrylate) mole ratio of 75/25 with the aim to compatibilize high impact polystyrene (HIPS)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) interface. HIPS/PLA blends with different PSMA contents were prepared. Their phase morphologies, mechanical properties, and rheological and crystallization behaviors were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, tensile tests, rotational rheometry, and differential scanning calorimetry. The rheological results showed that the complex viscosity, storage moduli, and loss moduli of PLA/HIPS blends were enhanced with increasing PSMA content. A decrease in the degree of crystallinity of PLA in PLA/HIPS blends with the addition of PSMA was observed in the differential scanning calorimetry results. It was also revealed that the addition of a small amount of PSMA can effectively improve the compatibility and thus the interfacial adhesion of the PLA/HIPS blends, thereby reducing the size of the HIPS dispersion phase. When 1 wt % of PSMA was used, compared with the PLA/HIPS blends without PSMA, the tensile strength and notched Charpy impact strength of PLA/HIPS blends were improved by 95.3% and 104.8%, respectively. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135 , 45799.