ABSTRACT Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a widely used polymer in the automotive, electronics, and household appliance industries. Despite its extensive use, ABS suffers from low thermal stability, flammability, poor UV stability, and limited recyclability. Hence, it requires blending with low‐cost polymers such as linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE), although this type of blend is immiscible. In this study, the role of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as morphology‐directing agents on the rheological and morphological properties, and thermal stability of melt‐mixed (ABS)/LLDPE (80/20) blends was studied. Morphological developments were examined by rheological and microscopic techniques. The neat blend exhibited heterogeneous dispersion of LLDPE droplets and elongated threads in a continuous phase. At low MWCNTs loadings, the matrix‐dispersed morphology was retained. However, a transition from matrix‐dispersed to co‐continuous morphology was observed when increasing the concentration of MWCNTs. This transition was corroborated by rheological and microscopy analysis, and infrared microscopy. Moreover, the morphological analysis revealed the localization of MWCNTs at the interface at high loadings. The thermal stability of the blend increased in the presence of MWCNTs, implying a delayed thermal degradation process. The observed findings suggest that the developed nanocomposites are a promising alternative material for applications traditionally dominated by neat ABS.
Motloung et al. (Sun,) studied this question.