Tayloring PS/PCL blends: characteristics of processing and properties

• Autor(a) principal: Morais,Dayanne Diniz de Souza
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: França,Danyelle Campos, Araújo,Edcleide Maria, Carvalho,Laura Hécker de, Wellen,Renate Maria Ramos, Oliveira,Amanda Dantas de, Melo,Tomás Jeferson Alves de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: REM - International Engineering Journal
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2448-167X2019000100087
• topic: PS/PCL blends; processing; mechanical properties; predictive models

Abstract Blends of Polystyrene (PS) and Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were twin screw extruded, two PSs, with low and high melt flow rate (MFR) were used and their feasibility within PCL investigated by means of torque rheometry, mechanical tests, heat deflection temperature (HDT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM); predictive models were utilized to evaluate interfacial adhesion in PS/PCL blends. Results show that no decreasing was verified in torque rheometry plots suggesting thermally stable blends; elastic modulus decreased and elongation at break increased in PS/PCL blends compared to neat PS. PS/PCL blends with low MFR PS and higher PCL amount are more thermodynamically stable. Higher HDT was verified in PS/PCL blends. The trends observed applying predictive models are indicative of poor adhesion between PCL and PS, agreeing with coalescence and phase segregation as verified in SEM images. PS/PCL systems with higher MFR PS presented the best results.