The influence of epoxy-functionalized acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene on the properties of PC/ABS alloy

Abstract In this study, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was introduced as the third monomer via emulsion polymerization to modify polybutadiene-styrene-acrylonitrile terpolymer latex, which enabled the grafting of epoxy groups—capable of forming chemical bonds with polycarbonate (PC) resin—onto the modified ABS resin latex. The comprehensive performance of PC/ABS alloys prepared using the modified core-shell structured ABS-g-GMA copolymer was systematically investigated. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the successful grafting of GMA onto the PBSAN latex, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that GMA reduced the size of the ABS dispersed phase and enhanced the interfacial compatibility between PC and ABS. Mechanical property analysis demonstrated that when 10 g of GMA was incorporated into the polymerization system, the resulting PC/ABS alloy exhibited a notched impact strength of 60.86 kJ/m² (a 25.43% increase), along with a tensile strength of 59 MPa, a bending strength of 83.531 MPa, and favorable processability. Additionally, the effect of varying ABS proportions in the PC/ABS alloy was explored, and the optimal comprehensive mechanical properties were achieved at a PC/ABS mass ratio of 70:30. Notably, this epoxy-functionalized ABS latex eliminates the need for additional compatibilizers during PC/ABS alloy preparation, providing a simple and feasible approach for fabricating high-performance PC/ABS alloys.