Compatibilization of Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)/Polycarbonate Blends by Epoxy. Part 1. Miscibility and Morphology

Epoxy resin has been demonstrated to be an efficient reactive compatibilizer for poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/polycarbonate (PTT/PC) blends. Two types of reactions mainly occurred during melt blending, epoxy ring opening, reaction and hydrolysis reaction between epoxy and PTT and PC. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and DMA results showed that the miscibility of epoxy‐containing blends was substantially improved. The compatibilization effect of epoxy on PTT/PC was correlated with blend composition. When the two components were in near equal content, a much better compatibilization effect was exhibited at constant epoxy content. Viscosity analysis suggested that the main interactions between epoxy and PTT (or PC) were not chemical reactions but instead were non‐chemical ones. The blend's morphology was strongly influenced by its epoxy content. When 1 phr epoxy was added during blending, a much finer morphology was exhibited. When epoxy content reached 2.7 phr or more, the blends did not show dis...