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In this study, recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABSr) was reused to produce polyamide 6 (PA6)-based blends. This was achieved through reactive compatibilization using styrene-acrylonitrile-maleic anhydride (SAN-g-MA) copolymer with a high degree of functionalization (6-10% MA). The PA6/ABSr and PA6/ABSr/SAN-g-MA blends were prepared through melt processing and injection molding and then analyzed for their rheological, mechanical, thermomechanical, thermal, and structural properties, as well as morphology. The torque rheometry revealed a maximum reactivity of the PA6/ABSr (70/30 wt%) blend with low SAN-g-MA (5 phr-parts per hundred resin) content, while above this threshold, torque began to decline, indicating compatibilizer saturation in the interface. These findings were further substantiated by the increase in complex viscosity and the lower melt flow index (MFI) of the PA6/ABSr/SAN-g-MA (5 phr) blend. The 5 phr SAN-g-MA reactive compatibilization of the PA6/ABSr blends significantly enhanced its impact strength, elongation at break, tensile strength, and heat deflection temperature (HDT) by 217%, 631%, 12.6%, and 9.5%, respectively, compared to PA6/ABSr. These findings are promising for the plastic recycling field, paving the way for the production of new tailor-made materials at a reduced price.

In this work, blends based on poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) compatibilized with maleic anhydride-grafted (SEBS-g-MA) were prepared in a co-rotational twin-screw extruder by varying the concentrations of the compatibilizing agent. The influence of the compatibilizing agent on the morphology, mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, and rheological properties of the prepared materials was analyzed. The effect of annealing on the properties of the blends was also investigated using injection-molded samples. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results proved that the increments in crystallinity were an effect of annealing in the PLA/ABS/SEBS-g-MA blends, resonating at higher heat deflection temperatures (HDTs). The impact strength of the PLA/ABS blends compatibilized with 10 wt% SEBS-g-MA was significantly increased when compared to the PLA/ABS blends. However, the hardness and elastic modulus of the blends decreased when compared to neat PLA. The refined morphology shown in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses corroborated the improved impact strength promoted by SEBS-g-MA. The torque rheometer degradation study also supported the increased compatibility between SEBS-g-MA, PLA, and ABS. The TGA results show that the PLA/ABS and PLA/ABS/SEBS-g-MA blends are more thermally stable than the neat PLA polymer at higher temperatures. The results showed that the ideal composition is the heat-treated PLA/ABS/SEBS-g-MA (60/30/10 wt%), given the high impact strength and HDT results. The results of this work in terms of mechanical improvement with the use of compatibilizers and annealing suggest that the PLA/ABS/SEBS-g-MA system can be used in the production of 3D-printing filaments.

Nylon 6/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene nanocomposites were prepared by mixing in a molten state and injection molded for application in electromagnetic interference shielding and antistatic packaging. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and maleic anhydride-grafted ABS compatibilizer were incorporated to improve the electrical conductivity and mechanical performance. The nanocomposites were characterized by oscillatory rheology, Izod impact strength, tensile strength, thermogravimetry, current-voltage measurements, shielding against electromagnetic interference, and scanning electron microscopy. The rheological behavior evidenced a severe increase in complex viscosity and storage modulus, which suggests an electrical percolation phenomenon. Adding 1 to 5 phr MWCNT into the nanocomposites produced electrical conductivities between 1.22 × 10 -6 S/cm and 6.61 × 10 -5 S/cm. The results make them suitable for antistatic purposes. The nanocomposite with 5 phr MWCNT showed the highest electromagnetic shielding efficiency, with a peak of -10.5 dB at 9 GHz and a value around -8.2 dB between 11 and 12 GHz. This was possibly due to the higher electrical conductivity of the 5 phr MWCNT composition. In addition, the developed nanocomposites, regardless of MWCNT content, showed tenacious behavior at room temperature. The results reveal the possibility for tailoring the properties of insulating materials for application in electrical and electromagnetic shielding. Additionally, the good mechanical and thermal properties further widen the application range.