Multicomponent blends based on polyamide 6 and styrenic polymers: morphology and melt rheology

The role of each blend component on blend morphology and melt rheological properties was investigated for multicomponent compatibilized blends of polyamide 6 (PA6) and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer (ABS). Blends with PA6 content of 50 wt% were prepared at similar processing conditions on a ZSK 30 twin screw extruder. PA6/styrene–acrylonitrile co-polymer (SAN) blends showed a dispersed morphology with PA6 as matrix. Addition of reactive compatibilizer, styrene–acrylonitrile–maleic anhydride co-polymer (SANMA), up to 5 wt%, changed the morphology from a dispersed to a co-continuous structure. PA6/ABS, having a part of the SAN substituted by rubber, exhibited a coarse co-continuous structure which could be explained with the yield stress of the ABS. Addition of the compatibilizer to this system refined the co-continuous structure and increased the viscosity as well as the elasticity.