Evaluation of Na-ionomer/polyphenylene sulfide blends under chemical warfare agent simulants: structure–property relationships with rheological, tribological, and creep behaviour

This study investigates the influence of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) on the chemical resistance, rheological, tribological, and creep behavior of Na-ionomer/PPS blends for defence applications. Blends containing 10–50 wt.% PPS were evaluated using chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulants, dynamic rheology, dry sliding wear, and creep testing. Increasing PPS content promoted a transition from sea–island to co-continuous morphology, significantly enhancing overall performance. FTIR, optical microscopy, and solvent absorption analyses suggest improved resistance to CWA simulants, with PPS40 and PPS50 exhibiting negligible surface changes and solvent uptake below 0.05%. All blends exhibited pseudoplastic shear-thinning behavior, while higher PPS contents improved melt processability. Tribological analysis showed that although the Na-ionomer exhibited the lowest COF and wear loss, increasing PPS content in the blends reduced frictional force and wear damage. In general, creep deformation decreased substantially with increasing PPS content, and the Findley model accurately predicted creep behavior. These blends are promising candidates for chemically resistant, wear-resistant defence and aerospace components.