EFFECTS OF PROCESSING CONDITIONS ON THE PHASE MORPHOLOGY OF PC ABS POLYMER BLENDS/

The phase morphology of PC/ABS blends can be significantly affected by its processing conditions. Blends prepared in a mixing chamber at dif ferent conditions show a strong influence of mixing time and temperatu re on its morphology. The blend morphology changes from a well-dispers ed PC phase surrounded by the ABS matrix phase to a cocontinuous morph ology with increase in the mixing time. Higher blending temperatures p romote changes in the PC/ABS morphology, probably due to thermal degra dation. The rotor speed has not shown much influence on the blend phas e morphology. The cocontinuous phase morphology of the PC/ABS blends o btained after mixing for 10 min was shown to be unstable as detected b y the heat treatment. A melt annealing for a few minutes showed a sign ificant change in the morphology. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.