STUDIES ON COMPATIBILIZATION OF POLYPROPYLENE THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE BLENDS AND MECHANISM OF COMPATIBILIZATION

This paper reports a study of compatibilization and the mechanism of c ompatibilization of polypropylene (PP)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU ) blends with maleated polypropylene (PP-MA) and its graft copolymer w ith polyethylene oxide (PEO), (PP-MA)-g-PEO. The results of scanning e lectron microscope (SEM) and dynamic mechanical analysis showed that ( PP-MA)-g-PEO was a very good compatibilizer for PP/TPU blends, while P P-MA also produced some compatibilization. The cocrystallization betwe en bulk PP and PP segments of the compatibilizers was evidenced by dif ferential scanning calorimetry studies. The specific interaction betwe en TPU and polar parts of the compatibilizers was studied with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.