Melt processed blends of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) and poly(phenylene ether) compatibilized with polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) triblock terpolymers

Polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) triblock terpolymers (SBM) with equal (symmetric) and different (asymmetric) block lengths were used to compatibilize polymer blends based on poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE) and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN). First, the rheological behavior of the individual components and their binary mixtures was investigated. Based on the results, samples of PPE, SAN and SBM in weight ratios of 32/48/20 were melt blended and the morphology development during melt processing was investigated. It was found that a raspberry morphology, i.e. dispersion of PPE in SAN with rubbery PB domains at the PPE/SAN interface, could be achieved with a symmetric SBM with Mn≈100 kg/mol under sufficiently high shear rate, while a symmetric SBM with Mn=170 kg/mol did not yield the desired morphology. Asymmetric SBMs with long PS blocks dissolved in the PPE phase did not display the expected compatibilization effect. In order to obtain a raspberry morphology with asymmetric copolymers it is suggested to pre-blend the SBM with SAN before adding the PPE. Finally it is shown that a commercial PPE containing High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) as a toughness modifier can be compatibilized with SAN by melt processing using a symmetric SBM triblock terpolymer with Mn≈100 kg/mol.