INFLUENCE OF MISCIBILITY ON THE MORPHOLOGY AND PROPERTIES OF POLYCARBONATE (MALEIC ANHYDRIDE)-GRAFTED-POLYPROPYLENE BLEND/

Maleic-anhydride-grafted polypropylene (MAH-g-PP) was added to polycar bonate (PC) as a processing agent. Its influence on the morphological, thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of PC/MAH-g-PP blends was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical spectroscopy (DMS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fou rier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic contact angle gon iometry, and tensile and impact strength experiments. The results indi cated that the processability and miscibility of the blends were impro ved significantly by addition of 5-20 wt% MAH-g-PP to PC. The melting temperature of MAH-g-PP increased as the relative composition of MAH-g -PP in the blends increased mainly because of enlargement of the cryst allite size. The DSC, FTIR as well as SEM results strongly suggested t hat a chemical reaction might have taken place between the PC and MAH- g-PP. This chemical reaction could have contributed to the improvement of the mechanical properties of the blends and the miscibility betwee n the PC and MAH-g-PP components.