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. 2022 Mar 29;15(7):2502.
doi: 10.3390/ma15072502.

Influence of Small Amounts of ABS and ABS-MA on PA6 Properties: Evaluation of Torque Rheometry, Mechanical, Thermomechanical, Thermal, Morphological, and Water Absorption Kinetics Characteristics

Carlos Bruno Barreto Luna  1 , Edson Antonio Dos Santos Filho  1 , Danilo Diniz Siqueira  1 , Edcleide Maria Araújo  1 , Emanuel Pereira do Nascimento  1 , Tomás Jeferson Alves de Mélo  1
Affiliations

Influence of Small Amounts of ABS and ABS-MA on PA6 Properties: Evaluation of Torque Rheometry, Mechanical, Thermomechanical, Thermal, Morphological, and Water Absorption Kinetics Characteristics

Carlos Bruno Barreto Luna et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

In this work, polyamide 6 (PA6) properties were tailored and improved using a maleic anhydride-grafted acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS-MA). The PA6/ABS-MA blends were prepared using a co-rotational twin-screw extruder. Subsequently, the extruded pellets were injection-molded. Blends were characterized by torque rheometry, the Molau test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), impact strength, tensile strength, Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetry (TG), Contact Angle, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and water absorption experiments. The most significant balance of properties, within the analyzed content range (5, 7.5, and 10 wt.%), was obtained for the PA6/ABS-MA (10%) blend, indicating that even low concentrations of ABS-MA can improve the properties of PA6. Significant increases in impact strength and elongation at break have been achieved compared with PA6. The elastic modulus, tensile strength, HDT, and thermal stability properties of the PA6/ABS-MA blends remained at high levels, indicating that maleic anhydride interacted with amine end-groups of PA6. Torque rheometry, the Molau test, and SEM analysis suggested interactions in the PA6/ABS-MA system, confirming the high properties obtained. Additionally, there was a decrease in water absorption and the diffusion coefficient of the PA6/ABS-MA blends, corroborating the contact angle analysis.

Keywords: ABS; ABS-MA; polyamide 6; polymer blends; tailoring of properties.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Extruder screw profile configured with distributive and dispersive elements [36].
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Torque plots for PA6, ABS, and the PA6/ABS blends; (b) torque plots for PA6, ABS-MA, and the PA6/ABS-MA blends; (a’) an enlargement of (a); (b’) an enlargement of (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Reaction of maleic anhydride group of ABS-MA with PA6 amine group forming imide (adapted from [18]).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Molau test solutions in formic acid for (a) pure PA6; (b) ABS; (c) ABS-MA; (d) PA6/ABS (90/10%); (e) PA6/ABS-MA (90/10%).
Figure 5
Figure 5
FTIR spectra of pure PA6 and the blends, respectively.
Figure 6
Figure 6
SEM micrographs showing the morphology on the fracture surface of pure PA6: (a) 500× magnification; (b) 2000× magnification.
Figure 7
Figure 7
SEM micrographs of the fractured surfaces of (a) PA6/ABS (5%); (b) PA6/ABS-MA (5%); (c) PA6/ABS (7.5%); (d) PA6/ABS-MA (7.5%); (e) PA6/ABS (10%); (f) PA6/ABS-MA (10%), respectively.
Figure 7
Figure 7
SEM micrographs of the fractured surfaces of (a) PA6/ABS (5%); (b) PA6/ABS-MA (5%); (c) PA6/ABS (7.5%); (d) PA6/ABS-MA (7.5%); (e) PA6/ABS (10%); (f) PA6/ABS-MA (10%), respectively.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Impact strength of PA6 and binary blends.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Tensile modulus of elasticity of PA6 and its binary blends.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Tensile strength of PA6 and its binary blends.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Elongation at break of PA6 and blends as a function of ABS and ABS-MA concentrations.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Stress–strain plots of PA6 and the PA6/ABS-MA and PA6/ABS blends, respectively.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Heat deflection temperature of PA6 and its binary blends as a function of ABS-MA and ABS content, respectively.
Figure 14
Figure 14
DSC curves of PA6 and its blends: (a) Crystalline melting temperature and (b) crystallization temperature.
Figure 15
Figure 15
(a) Crystallization rate; (b) crystalline fraction.
Figure 16
Figure 16
(a) Molten fraction of crystals; (b) melting rate as a function of the molten fraction of crystals.
Figure 17
Figure 17
TG curves for pure PA6 and its binary blends.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Mean contact angle at 200 s for (a) PA6; (b) PA6/ABS-MA (5%); (c) PA6/ABS-MA (7.5%); (d) PA6/ABS-MA (10%); (e) PA6/ABS (5%); (f) PA6/ABS (7.5%); (g) PA6/ABS (10%).
Figure 18
Figure 18
Mean contact angle at 200 s for (a) PA6; (b) PA6/ABS-MA (5%); (c) PA6/ABS-MA (7.5%); (d) PA6/ABS-MA (10%); (e) PA6/ABS (5%); (f) PA6/ABS (7.5%); (g) PA6/ABS (10%).
Figure 19
Figure 19
Water absorption on PA6 and its ABS and ABS-MA blends.
Figure 20
Figure 20
Diffusion coefficients of PA6 and its blends.
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