Effect of organoclays on the rheological and morphological properties of poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene)/poly(methyl methacrylate)/ clay nanocomposites

Abstract Using the rheological measurements, the effect of three types of organoclays on the morphology and nanoclay dispersion in the poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (ABS/PMMA) blends was investigated. For this purpose, polymers were melt blended with 2 and 4 wt% of organoclays in a twin‐screw extruder. Structural analysis of the blends and nanocomposites through the rheometery, theoretical approach, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the clay content and interaction level between clays and the polymers dominated the morphology. While the morphology of the blends varied by PMMA content, smaller PMMA domains were observed for blends containing clay particles. Better‐interacted and intercalated nanoclays were mainly located within the interface at lower content. While, at higher content, they tended to migrate into the dispersed phase. Theoretical calculations of interfacial tensions and wetting coefficients confirmed this kind of migration. POLYM. COMPOS., 33:1893–1902, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers