THE PHASE INVERSION AND MORPHOLOGY OF NYLON-1010 POLYPROPYLENE BLENDS

Noncompatibilized and compatibilized blends of nylon 1010/PP blends ha ving five different viscosity ratios were prepared by melt extrusion. Glycidyl methacrylate-grafted-polypropylene (PP-g-GMA) was used as the compatibilizer to enbance the adhesion between the two polymers and t o stabilize the blend morphology. The effect of the viscosity ratio on the morphology of nylon 1010/polypropylene blends was investigated, w ith primary attention to the phase-inversion behavior and the average particle size of the dispersed phase. The relationship between the mec hanical properties and the phase-inversion composition was investigate d as well. Investigation of the morphology of the blends by microscopy indicated that the smaller the viscosity ratio (eta(PP)/eta(PA)) the smaller was the polypropylene concentration at which the phase inversi on took place and polypropylene became the continuous phase. The compa tibilizer induced a sharp reduction of particle size, but did not have a major effect on the phase-inversion point. An improvement :in the m echanical properties was found when nylon 1010 provided the matrix pha se. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.