Non-viscoelastic Alloy by Reactive Blending of Nylon with Poly(ethylene-co-glycidyl methacrylate)

Abstract

Polyamide (PA) was blended with a reactive polyolefin, poly(ethylene-co-glycidyl methacrylate), using an extremely long (L/D=100, L: screw length, D: screw diameter) twin-screw extruder. The reactive blending yielded a unique morphology of the sub-μm polyolefin particles in which 20 nm PA micelles were occluded. It implies that the in situ-formed graft copolymer was pulled in the dispersed particles. The blend showed ultra-high toughness (non-break at Izod impact test) and non-viscoelastic tensile property: the higher deformation rate led to the lower modulus and the larger elongation at break. In the tensile stress–strain curve, the sharp yielding point characteristic to crystalline polymer was hardly seen and the necking stress was maintained almost constant without strain hardening. It suggests a potential application for the energy absorbing car parts, to be friendly for pedestrian and driver.