Processamento e caracterização da Blenda poli(metacrilato de metila) (PMMA) com partículas elastoméricas e policarbonato (PC)

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the rheological, mechanical and microstructural behavior of poly (methyl methacrylate)/polycarbonate (PMMA/PC) blends using a PMMA with elastomeric particles until phase inversion. The PMMA/PC blends were processed in single screw extruder and co-rotational twin screw extruder, with subsequent injection molding. The changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of the polycarbonate were analyzed by viscosimetry and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) before and after processing. The mechanical characterizations were performed by uniaxial tensile test and Izod impact. The rheological tests were done by melt flow index (MFI) and capillary rheometry. Microstructural analysis of the polymer blends was performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal degradation temperature was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results of the MFI in the processing conditions indicated a higher flowability of the polycarbonate among all the studied compositions; most of them present higher value of MFI for the materials processed in twin screw extruder. In the capillary rheometry of the unprocessed materials a lower PC viscosity variation was observed as a function of the shear rate increase. TGA showed a higher degradation onset temperature for the PC, but the processing altered the thermal stability of that polymer more than for poly (methyl methacrylate). The intrinsic viscosity measurements of the polycarbonate indicated a possible degradation by chain scission after processing due to the decrease in the molar mass of the material. The FTIR did not identify distinct bands for the PC before and after the processing. The mechanical characterization by uniaxial tensile revealed higher tensile strength, higher modulus of elasticity and greater elongation at break for polycarbonate, and the compatibility of PMMA/PC blends varied with PC concentration, with some compositions that showed synergism in the properties. Izod impact strength showed a high PC impact strength when compared to PMMA, but the addition of 20 wt% of PC in the PMMA matrix significantly increased the impact strength of PMMA/PC blends. The morphological analysis by AFM visualized the presence of spherical elastomeric particles with an average size of about 182 ± 20 nm in the PMMA, evenly distributed along its microstructure, while the PC presented only one homogeneous phase. The PMMA/PC blend showed two well-defined phases throughout all the compositions, and showed evidence of morphology with co-continuity characteristics for the compositions between 70/30 and 50/50 wt%, both for the materials processed in single screw extruders as well as twin screw extruders. The compositions with the highest percentage of PMMA in the PMMA/PC blends were the ones with the best results of rupture strength and elongation at break, and the Izod impact resistance showed intermediate properties. The results in the phase inversion followed the characteristics of the polycarbonate, not showing significant gains of properties.