Rubber Toughened Plastics

• Grant number: 96/08550-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: June 01, 1997
• End date: July 31, 2002
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Elias Hage Junior
• Grantee: Elias Hage Junior
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Several plastics are brittle under impact loading rubber toughening is one of the most used techniques to improve impact strength of brittle plastics. The performance of a rubber-toughened plastic depends on the phase morphology of the disperse phase and on the interfacial interaction between disperse and continuous-matrix phases. The best performance occurs when a combination of optimum mixing parameters and adequate interfacial adhesion is obtained. Several compatibilization procedures can be used to reach the best toughening conditions. This research has as a main goal to optmize compounding and processing conditions, as well as, to compatibilize rubber and brittle components. To reach this goal a number of engineering plastics such as PS, PBT, PET, nylon 6, PC, PP are toughened with rubbers such as EPDM, SEBS, SBS special compatibilizers such as maleic anhidside grafted rubbers are used to improve tougheness of the studied systems. All the studied systems are analyzed by correlating mixing/processing parameters with morphology and mechanical properties. Experimental techniques such as TEM and SEM are used for morphological analysis, rheometry is used for mixing analysis, DSC and DMTA are used for microstructural analysis and instrumented impact machines are used for mechanical properties analysis under impact. (AU)