Ternary Polymer Blends of Polyamide 6, Polypropylene, and Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene: Influence of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on Phase Morphology, Electrical Conductivity, and Crystallization

Ternary polymer blends of 80/10/10 (wt/wt/wt) polyamide6 (PA6)/polypropylene (PP)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), PP/PA6/ABS, and ABS/PP/PA6 were prepared in the presence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by melt-mixing technique to investigate the influence of MWCNTs on the phase morphology, electrical conductivity, and the crystallization behavior of the PP and PA6 phases in the respective blends. Morphological analysis showed the "core-shell"- type morphology in 80/10/10 PA6/PP/ABS and 80/10/10 PP/PA6/ABS blends, which was found to be unaltered in the presence of MWCNTs. However, MWCNTs exhibited "compatibilization-like" action, which was manifested in a reduction of average droplet size of the dispersed phase/s. In contrast, a separately dispersed morphology has been found in the case of 80/10/10 ABS/PP/PA6 blends in which both the phases (PP and PA6) were dispersed separately in the ABS matrix. The electrical percolation threshold for 80/10/10 PA6/PP/ABS and 80/10/10 PP/PA6/ABS ternary polymer blends was found between 3-4 and 2-3 wt% of MWCNTs, respectively, whereas 80/10/10 ABS/PP/PA6 blends showed electrically insulating behavior even at 5 wt% of MWCNTs. Nonisothermal crystallization studies could detect the presence of MWCNTs in the PA6 and the PP phases. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51: 1550-1563, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers