PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM

SRI INTERNATIONAL Abstract Menlo Park. California 94025 Process Economics Program Report No. 175

BLENDS OF THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS

(November 1986)

Blends of two or more thermoplastic polymers provide a combination of properties and price not found in a single polymer, copolymer, or reinforced plastic. Production is growing rapidly. In this report, SRI examines the technology of thermoplastics blends, particularly ways of preparing stable blends from components that are not always compati- ble.

This report focuses on blends of high-performance polymers with low-cost polymers, particularly injection-moldingand extrusion grades of engineering thermoplastics. Properties and compositions of modified ABS resins, blends of ABS with other polymers, and polycarbonate blends are examined in detail. Trade-offs in eight key properties for more than 100 commercial blends are displayed in a new graphical presenta- tion.

The report also reviews equipment, procedures, and costs for producing blends on a commercial scale.

PEP'84 RHS - Report No. 175

0 BLENDS OF THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS

by ROBERT H. SCHWAAR with contributions by CHI -WEI LEE

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- A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM 0 Menlo Park, California 94025 For detailed marketing data and information, the reader is referred to one of the SRI programs specializing in marketing research. The CHEMICAL ECONOMICS HANDBOOK Program covers most major chemicals and chemical products produced in the United States and the WORLD PETROCHEMICALS Program covers major hydrocarbons and their derivatives on a worldwide basis. In addition, the SRI DIRECTORY OF CHEMICAL PRODUCERS services provide detailed lists of chemical producers by company, prod- uct, and plant for the United States and Western Europe.

ii CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ...... 1

SUMMARY ...... 3 ABS Resin Blends ...... Polycarbonate Blends ...... Other Blends ...... Equipment and Procedures for Producing Blends ...... Costs of Producing Blends ......

INDUSTRY STATUS ...... 11 Production Figures for Blends ...... 11 Markets for Blends ...... 13 Producers of Blends ...... 13 Prices of Blends ...... 14

TYPESOFPOLYMERBLENDS ...... 25 Miscible Blends ...... 25 Two-Phase Blends ...... 31 Reinforcement of Blends with Glass Fibers ...... 33 Properties of Blends ...... 34

ABS RESINS AND MODIFIED ABS RESINS ...... 39 Characteristics of ABS Resins ...... 40 ABS Production Techniques ...... 41 Emulsion Polymerization ...... 43 Emulsion-Mass Polymerization ...... 43 Mass-Suspension Process ...... 44 Solution Process ...... 44 Melt Blending ...... 45 Modified ABS Resins ...... 45 Other Rubbery Substrates ...... 53 Effects of Adding Other Components ...... 54 MBS Resins ...... 55 MBS-Type Blends as Impact Modifiers ...... 56 Imidized Polymers of MMA ...... 58

BLENDS OF ABS WITH OTHER POLYMERS ...... 61 Blends of ABS and Polycarbonate ...... 61 Blends of ABS and Polyvinyl Chloride ...... 67 Blends of ABS and Styrene/Maleic Anhydride Copolymers .... 74 Imidated S/MA Copolymers ...... 77

iii CONTENTS

6 BLENDS OF ABS WITH OTHER POLYMERS (Continued) SAMA Terpolymers ...... 79 SMAMM Terpolymers ...... 80 Other Blends Containing S/MA ...... 86 Ternary Blends of Polycarbonate, ABS, and S/MA ...... 86 Blends of ABS with Polyesters ...... 87 Blends of ABS with Other Polymers ...... 87

7 POLYCARBONATE BLENDS ...... 91 Blends of Polycarbonate and ABS ...... 92 Blends of Polycarbonate and Other Styrenic Polymers ..... 103 Blends of Polycarbonate and Polyester ...... 106 Blends of Polycarbonate and Polyesters Based on Other Glycols ...... 113 Blends of Polycarbonate and Polyolefins ...... 113 Polycarbonate Blends with Impact Modifiers ...... 114 Blends of Modified Polycarbonates ...... 116 Miscellaneous Polycarbonate-ContainingBlends ...... 117

8 OTHER BLENDS 119 Modified Poly(phenylene oxide) ...... 119 Thermoplastic Polyester Blends ...... 120 Nylon Blends ...... 121 Acetal Blends ...... 122 Polyolefin Blends ...... 122 Interpenetrating Polymer Networks (IPNs) ...... 122

9 EQUIPMENT, PROCEDURES, AND COSTS FOR PRODUCING BLENDS . . . . 123 Commercial Blending ...... 123 Preblenders ...... 127 Masterbatching ...... 128 Criteria for Good Blending ...... 129 Blending Costs ...... 130 Materials Costs ...... 130 Conversion Costs ...... 131 Examples of the Costs of Commercial Blends ...... 132

CITED REFERENCES ...... 191

PATENT REFERENCES BY COMPANY ...... 213

iv ILLUSTRATIONS

4.1 Examples of Commercial Blends ...... 30 4.2 Performance Profile Coordinates ...... 36 5.1 Blending Graft Emulsion ABS with More SAN Alternative Blending Procedures ...... 42 5.2 Modified ABS Resins Property Performance Profiles ...... 46 6.1 ABS/PC Blends Property Performance Profiles ...... 62 6.2 ABS/PVC Blends Property Performance Profiles ...... 71 6.3 Blends of S/MA Copolymer with Rubber Property Performance Profiles ...... 76 6.4 Blends of ABS with Imidated S/MA Copolymers Property Performance Profiles ...... 78 6.5 Blends of ABS with SMAMM Terpolymers - Property Performance Profiles ...... 82 6.6 Blends of SMAMM with Acrylic Graft Additives Property Tradeoffs ...... 85 7.1 PC/ABS Blends Effect of Composition on Properties ...... 94 7.2 PC/ABS Blends Property Performance Profiles ...... 97 7.3 Blends of PC with S/MA Copolymer Property Performance Profiles ...... 105 7.4 Blends of PC and Polyesters Property Performance Profiles ...... 109

V TABLES

3.1 Leading Producers of Thermoplastics Blends ...... 15 3.2 ABS Producers ...... 17 3.3 Polycarbonate Producers ...... 20 - 3.4 Producers of Other Raw Materials for Thermoplastics Blends ...... 21 3.5 Commercial Blends of Thermoplastics ...... 22 3.6 Market Prices of Thermoplastics, Homopolymers, Copolymers, and Blends ...... 23

4.1 Average Properties of ABS Resins ...... 37

5.1 Modified ABS, SAN, MBS Blends Patentsummary...... 139 5.2 Selected Properties of Modified ABS Resins ...... 52 5.3 Multilayer Acrylic Graft Copolymer Impact Modifiers 0 Typical Recipes, Emulsion Polymerization ...... 59

6.1 Blends of ABS and PVC Patentsummary...... 144 6.2 ABS as a Modifier for PVC ...... 68 6.3 Copolymers and Blends Containing Maleic Anhydride Patentsummary...... 147 6.4 Blends of Imidated S/MA Polymers Patentsummary...... 149 6.5 Blends of S/MA Terpolymers Patentsummary...... 151

6.6 Key Properties of SMAMM Blends ...... l ...... 84 6.7 Ternary Blends of Polycarbonate, ABS, and S/MA Patentsummary...... 153 6.8 Blends of ABS and Polyesters Patentsummary...... 154 6.9 Blends of ABS with Miscellaneous Types of Polymers Patent Summary...... 155 6.10 Selected Properties of ABS Blends ...... 90

Vii TABLES

7.1 Selected Properties of Polycarbonate Blends ...... 93 7.2 Blends of Polycarbonate and ABS Resin Patentsummary...... 157 7.3 Blends of Polycarbonate and Other Styrenic Polymers PatentSuPmnary...... 163 7.4 Blends of Polycarbonate and Polyester Patentsummary...... 167 7.5 Blends of Polycarbonate and Polyolefins Patentsummary...... 173 7.6 Blends of Polycarbonate with Impact Modifiers Patentsummary...... 175 7.7 Blends of Modified Polycarbonates Patentsummary...... 177 7.8 Miscellaneous Polycarbonate-ContainingBlends PatentSummary...... 179

8.1 Blends with Poly(phenylene oxide) PatentSummary...... 181 8.2 Nylon Blends Patentsummary...... 186 8.3 Acetal Blends PatentSummary...... 189

9.1 Typical Costs of Large-Scale Thermoplastics Blending . . . 135

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