Mechanical, thermal, and morphological behavior of the polyamide 6/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene blends irradiated with gamma rays

Polymeric materials with improved properties can be obtained through polymer blends. As a polymer mixture is generally immiscible and incompatible, it is necessary to use compatibilizers to improve the interfacial adhesion. Polyamide 6 (PA‐6) is an attractive polymer to engineering applications; however, it reveals processing instability and relatively low‐notched impact strength. This behavior can be modified by blending with acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) copolymer. In this study, blends of PA‐6 with ABS were prepared using gamma irradiation, and the effects of ABS and ionizing radiation on the properties of PA‐6/ABS blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The data showed that the presence of ABS (30 wt%) in the blend decreased the tensile strength and elongation at break with respect to pure PA‐6. The decrease in the mechanical property was observed at doses 30 and 50 kGy. ABS showed strong effect on the crystallization of PA‐6 in the PA‐6/ABS binary blends. All irradiated blends are thermally more stable than those non‐irradiated. Chemical changes can be clearly seen in FTIR spectra through two bands assigned for NH and OH groups. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008.