Fracture toughness of thermoplastic co-poly (ether ester) elastomer—Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene terpolymer blends

• Published in: Polymer testing Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 562 - 567
• Main Authors: Sivaraman, P., Chandrasekhar, L., Mishra, V.S., Chakraborty, B.C., Varghese, T.O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fracture toughness; Mechanical properties; Morphology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymer blends; Properties and characterization; Mechanical properties; Polymer blends; Morphology; Fracture toughness; Terpolymer; Property composition relationship; Thermoplastic rubber; Ether copolymer; Experimental study; Heterogeneous mixture; Structure composition relationship; Bending strength; ABS; Ester copolymer; Impact strength
• ISSN: 0142-9418; 1873-2348
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2006.03.007

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene terpolymer (ABS) was blended with thermoplastic co-poly (ether ester) elastomer (COPE) in different weight ratios in a twin screw extruder. Fracture toughness of the blends as a function of COPE weight percentage was studied. Fracture toughness was investigated using the J-integral by locus method developed by Kim et al. [B.H. Kim, C.R. Joe, D.M. Otterson, Polym. Test. 8 (1989) 119]. The fracture toughness of the blend with 5 wt% shows higher fracture toughness than pure ABS. The correlation of the topology of the fracture surface with the fracture toughness of the blends was carried out. The physical properties of the blends were studied. The addition of COPE improves the impact property, while flexural modulus shows a slight increase when ABS is blended with COPE at low concentration. The SEM micrographs show three-phase morphology.