CORE-SHELL STRUCTURED LATEX-PARTICLES .3. STRUCTURE-PROPERTIES RELATIONSHIP IN TOUGHENING OF POLYCARBONATE WITH POLY(N-BUTYL ACRYLATE) POLY(BENZYL METHACRYLATE-STYRENE) STRUCTURED LATEX-PARTICLES/

The performance of the designed structured core-shell latex particles in toughening polycarbonate (PC) matrix was examined. Izod impact test ing of the PC-core-shell latex blends were used to evaluate the influe nce of parameters related to the core-shell latex particles on toughen ing polycarbonate. Among these parameters are the particle size and le vels of crosslinking of the core rubber particles, composition and mol ecular weight of the shell polymer, and weight ratio of shell to core polymers as well as the particle morphology. In this work, core-shell structured latex particles with thinner shells of higher molecular wei ght polymers were found to improve the impact resistance of polycarbon ate. The role of chain entanglements in increased adhesion between the discrete rubbery phase and the continuous glassy matrix and the impor tance of surface-to-surface interparticle distance for toughening at v arious temperatures are discussed. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.