Premium
Morphological studies of polycarbonate‐poly(butylene terephthalate) blends by transmission electron microscopy
Author(s) -
Delimoy Didier,
Bailly Christian,
Devaux Jacques,
Legras Roger
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760280207
Subject(s) - materials science , polycarbonate , transesterification , transmission electron microscopy , polymer blend , copolymer , scanning electron microscope , annealing (glass) , styrene , optical microscope , polymer , chemical engineering , composite material , polymer chemistry , methanol , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , chemistry , engineering
The morphology of polycarbonate (PC)‐poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) blends prepared by melt‐processing in an extruder or a Brabender Plastograph was studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Transesterification during blending was avoided by the use of di‐n‐octadecyl phosphite, an efficient transesterification inhibitor. Ruthenium tetraoxide was used to selectively stain the PC fraction. Observation of ultrathin sections revealed the biphasic nature of the blends and the partial compatibility of the polymers in the molten state. The most striking consequence of this Is the presence, of PBT crystalline lamellae growing inside the PC‐rich phase for samples annealed in the proper temperature range. A preliminary study of the morphology as a function of composition and thermal annealing was undertaken. The RuO 4 staining technique was also applied to the commercial blend Xenoy CL 100 from General Electric, which was shown to contain an MBS impact modifier (a methylmethacrylate butadiene‐styrene copolymer) exclusively located In the PC‐rich phase.