Compatibilizing Effect of Poly(methyl methacrylate-co-maleic anhydride) on the Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Polyketone/Polycarbonate Blends

For the purpose of enhancing the impact resistance of polyketone (PK) without lowering the stiffness, PK was blended with polycarbonate (PC). As a compatibilizer for the blend, poly(methyl methacrylate-co-maleic anhydride) [poly(MMA-co-MA)] was synthesized and introduced. The structure and maleic anhydride content of poly(MMA-co-MA) were investigated by spectroscopy analysis and titration method. In the compatibilized blends, it was observed that the particle size decreased with increasing amount of poly(MMA-co-MA) compatibilizer, and that the compatibilizer encapsulated the PC particles. Among the tensile and impact properties examined, elongation at break and impact strength were greatly enhanced by the compatibilization, while modulus and yield strength were not much affected. The amount of compatibilizer and the resulting particle size giving the highest impact strength were different from those for the highest elongation at break. It was observed that there existed an optimum particle size of about 1µm that caused the maximum crazing to toughen the blend most effectively.