Toughening modification of PBT/PC blends with PTW and POE

New toughened poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT)/bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) blends were obtained by melt blending with ethylene-butylacrylate-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (PTW) and ethylene-1-octylene copolymer (POE) in a twin-screw extruder. The mechanical properties of PBT/PC blends were investigated. The presence of PTW or POE could improve the mechanical properties except for the tensile strength and flexural properties of the PBT/PC blends. However, a combination use of PTW and POE had a strong synergistic effect, leading to remarkable increases in the impact strength, elongation at break, and Vicat temperature and some reduction of the tensile strength and flexural properties. The relationship between mechanical properties and morphology of the PBT/PC/PTW/POE blends was studied. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy and the average diameter of dispersed phase was determined by image analysis, and the critical interparticle distance for PBT/PC was determined. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.