Role of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Localization on Morphology Development of PMMA/PS/PP Ternary Blends

ABSTRACT In this work, we studied the parameters affecting the localization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and its impact on morphology development of poly(methyl methacrylate)/polystyrene/polypropylene (PMMA/PS/PP) ternary blends, which originally have a thermodynamically preferred core–shell type morphology. We compared the results with the morphological prediction based on the thermodynamic approach. The MWCNTs localization and morphological features of nanocomposite samples were studied by means of melt linear viscoelastic experiments together with electron microscopy results. It was found that at 0.5 wt% of MWCNTs the original core–shell type morphology of the ternary blend samples almost remained intact. and this observation was independent of the sequence of feeding. At 1 wt% of MWCNTs, the core–shell morphology was retained only for those nanocomposite samples prepared using the sequential feeding mode. In addition, it was demonstrated that the thermodynamic predictions could be utilized for the nanocomposites containing low MWCNTs contents. However, this was not true for the nanocomposites with higher MWCNTs contents due to the predominating role of viscoelastic properties of the PS shell.