Structural-mechanical relationship of epoxy compatibilized polyamide 6/polycarbonate blends

Polyamide 6 (PA6)/polycarbonate (PC) blends compatibilized with solid epoxy resin (bisphenol type-A) were prepared by extrusion followed by injection molding. The effects of epoxy resin on the microstructure, tensile, impact and compatibility of the PA6/PC blends were investigated. The results showed that both the tensile modulus and elongation at break of PA6/PC blends were inferior as compared to their parent polymers. This resulted from incompatibility between the PA6 and PC phases. SEM observation revealed that the introduction of 0.5 part per hundred (phr) epoxy resin into the PA6/PC75/25 blend yields a finer dispersion of PC phase in PA6 matrix. The boundaries between the PC domains and PA6 matrix became obscure with the incorporation of 1 phr epoxy resin. Such an improvement in compatibility was suggested to be resulted from the formation of in situ epoxy bridged PA6-PC block copolymer in the blend during compounding. Consequently, the tensile modulus, yield strength and impact strength of the PA6/PC 75/25 blend improved considerably with increasing epoxy content.