Cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC/ poly(acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene) (ABS) blends: Structure-property relationships and morphological, rheological and mechanical properties

Blending of polymers offer many advantages in term of developing new polymeric materials with novel and/or selectively enhanced properties. The final properties of a polymer blend can be tuned precisely by selecting the right components, varying the composition of ingredients and phase morphology. Therefore, in literature, many researchers have been studying development of new polymeric blends with a specific property for specific applications, optimizing final properties of a particular polymer blend by varying composition, compatibilization of the blend components by a compatibilizer or other chemical techniques, and obtaining definite phase morphology for particular applications have been investigated widely in the literature. In this study, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer and cycloolefin copolymer (COC) based composites with different types/rates of norbornene content were prepared by melt blending method and the mechanical, morphological and rheological behaviors of the obtained composites were investigated. Series with different content ratios were prepared in a laboratory scale twin screw extruder, and the changes in the blends were examined by tests performed in a rotational rheometer. Morphological features in the series used were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microstructure studies. In addition, the relationship between the com-monomer composition of COC and the interphase interactions of the mixtures, blend morphology, usage temperature limits and viscoelastic properties were also investigated.