CHARACTERIZATION OF MELT-MIXED POLY(ETHYLENE-2,6-NAPHTHALATE) (PEN)/POLYCARBONATE (PC) BLENDS

ABSTRACT

Melt blending of poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN) and bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) was performed without the addition of catalyst in a batch mixer at 290°C at various compositions. All the blends prepared exhibited a biphasic character and had very good mechanical properties, in some cases, even better than those of the respective pure constituents. This behavior was attributed to a copolymer formation in the mesophase, which effectively compatibilizes the system. The formation of a PEN/PC block copolymer was considered to be due to transesterification reactions between PEN and PC and was verified by extraction experiments and examination of the soluble and insoluble fractions by various spectroscopic techniques.

Keywords:

• Polymer blends
• Poly(ethylene naphthalate)
• Bisphenol A polycarbonate
• Reactive blending

Acknowledgment

This work was supported in part by the Operational Program for Education and Initial Vocational Training, Program on Polymer Science and Technology—3.2a, 33H6, administered through the Ministry of Education in Greece.