ABSTRACT
Impact resistance of PPO/HIPS blend can be improved by adding styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBS) or methyl methacrylate-butadiene styrene copolymer (MBS) modifier. Mechanical properties of PPO/HIPS/SBS and PPO/HIPS/MBS blends have been studied. It was found that SBS modifier is better than MBS modifier in the enhancement of impact strength and elongation of blends. However, the decreases of tensile, flex-ural strength and modulus of MBS modifier are less than those of SBS modifier. Heat distortion temperature (HDT) shows no significant change even after 20 phr of either rubber modifiers have been added.
Dynamic mechanical properties (E’, E”, and tan δ) were also studied to investigate the compatibility between the modifier and PPO/HIPS matrix. Although PPO/HIPS/RUBBER blends show multiphase it was found that the tan δ peak of rubber domain of the HIPS resin shifted when modifiers were added. Results indicate modifiers show no significant influence on the Tg of PPO/PS matrix. The morphology of the fracture surface of blends was also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results show that the interaction force between SBS and PPO/HIPS is better than that of MBS and PPO/HIPS.
