Processability and Properties of Novel Melt Blends

JOSHUA U. OTAIGBE

Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Ames, Iowa 50011

CANDACE J. QUINN and GEORGE H. BEALL

Science and Technology Group

Corning Inc.

Corning New York 14831

Abstract

Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to study the viscoelastic properties of two novel highly filled phosphate glass-polymer melt blends to accelerate efforts to optimize their melt processing. The melt of one blend was thermally stable while that of the other blend was not, as evidenced by modulus growth over tune of the latter. The frequency dependencies of storage and loss moduli for both blends at 400ÁC showed evidence of incomplete relaxation. Recrystallization, formation of some fibrillar structures within the polymer phase during flow, transvitrification of the polymer phase, or interactions between the polymer and glass are thought to be responsible for the observed differences between the viscoelastic properties of the two blends .