MORPHOLOGICAL CONTROL OF IMPACT TOUGHNESS IN POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE) ACRYLONITRILE-BUTADIENE RUBBER BLENDS/

Toughening of PMMA by in-situ polymerisation of methyl methacrylate/ac rylonitrile-butadiene rubber solutions to give blends with a multiple- inclusion morphology has been achieved. This contrasts with the lack o f impact toughening observed upon direct blending of PMMA with the sam e rubber. The toughened blends are analogous to HIPS in terms of the m ultiple-inclusion morphology and the observed cross-linking within the separated elastomeric phase but possess significantly larger separate d phase domains.