| Abstract: | The aim of the work presented is to evaluate the mechanisms and phase interactions in ternary blends based on different polyamides and functionalised elastomers, and to establish a correlation between the morphology controlled by the specific binary interactions, and physical and technological properties, respectively. The properties of the ternary system polyamide 6/polyamide 66/ elastomer depend on the specific blend morphology which is determined mainly by the differences of the surface tension of the components. A phase‐in‐phase structure was observed by microscopic study (AFM) in the ternary polyamide 6/polyamide 66/elastomer blends with maleic anhydride grafted ethene‐octene copolymer, and a “quasi” phase‐in‐phase structure in blends with maleic anhydride grafted ethene‐propene‐diene copolymer as the elastomer phase. An incorporation of polyamide inside of the elastomer particles was observed in the first case due to the difunctionality of polyamide 66. This type of morphology causes an increased elongation at break and toughness of these blends. In comparison to the binary polyamide based blends the ternary blends show an increased elastic modulus, elongation at break and yield stress as well as a high impact strength at low temperatures up to ?20 °C. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
