Ramon Groote

Quantitative Morphology Characterization of New PC-siloxane Copolymer Blends

SABIC recently developed polycarbonate-polysiloxane (PC-siloxane) copolymer blends which offer unique combinations of chemical resistance and low temperature impact ductility compared to polycarbonate (PC) homo-polymers. These novel blends have additional excellent aesthetic properties at high polysiloxane levels in the blend, especially when compared to polycarbonate-polysiloxane copolymers with the same polysiloxane content [1,2]. In PC-siloxane copolymer blends, siloxane forms nano-domains and is dispersed in the PC matrix. As the siloxane nano-domain size and the dispersion have a significant influence on the material properties, it is critical to develop quantitative morphology characterization [3,4] of PC-siloxane copolymer blends to offer a complete understanding of the relationship between material structure and properties.