Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.107, No.5, 3090-3098, 2008
Blends of polyamide 6 with low-density polyethylene compatibilized with ethylene-methacrylic acid based copolymer ionomers: Effect of neutralizing cations
Blends of polyamide 6 with low-density polyethylene compatibilized with sodium-, zinc-, and lithium-neutralized ethylene-methacrylic acid ionomers were investigated at 11, 33, and 55 wt % neutralization of the ionomers. Blends of polyamide 6 with low-density polyethylene without a compatibilizer had poor properties characteristic of incompatible polymer-polymer blends. After the addition of a compatibilizer, tensile properties improved, the modulus drop associated with melting increased to higher temperatures, and the dispersed phase size decreased. The improvement of the mechanical properties and thermomechanical properties was less with the acid copolymer than with the ionomers. Overall, ionomers neutralized with sodium, zinc, or lithium showed little difference in their compatibilization efficiency. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.