Effect of SEBS-g-MA Compatibilizer in Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide (PAGF) and Recycled Polyvinyl Butyral (rPVB) Blends Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • The development of high-value applications for recycled polymers is a growing priority in the automotive sector. Recycled polyvinyl butyral (rPVB), widely recovered from laminated windshields, has shown potential as a solid lubricant in glass fiber-reinforced polyamide (PAGF). However, PAGF/rPVB blends are inherently immiscible, limiting their mechanical performance. This study investigates the effect of low concentrations (1¿10 wt.%) of styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA) as a compatibilizer to improve the interfacial compatibility and miscibility of PAGF/rPVB blends. Ternary PAGF/rPVB/SEBS-g-MA blends were prepared by melt mixing and injection molding and characterized using spectroscopic, microscopic, thermal, and mechanical methods. SEBS-g-MA promoted chemical interactions between hydroxyl groups in rPVB, carboxyl groups in SEBS-g-MA, and amino groups in PAGF, enhancing interfacial adhesion and morphological homogeneity. Even at 1 wt.%, SEBS-g-MA improved compatibility, evidenced by reduced phase separation and chemical bonds. At 5 and 10 wt.%, signs of partial miscibility emerged, including smaller second-phase domains, sharper and lower-temperature tan ¿ peaks, and increased crystallinity. Mechanical strength and stiffness decreased with increasing SEBS-g-MA content due to the lower mechanical properties of SEBS-g-MA and rPVB. Blends with 5 and 10 wt.% SEBS-g-MA showed the highest compatibility and partial miscibility, but also the greatest modulus reductions. In contrast, 1 and 3 wt.% blends retained more stiffness while benefiting from improved compatibility. These results highlight the trade-off between favored compatibility/miscibility and mechanical properties while demonstrating SEBS-g-MA potential to enable recycled blends for tribological applications where interfacial stability, damping, and dispersion of lubricating phases are prioritized over high modulus. © 2025 Society of Plastics Engineers.

publication date

  • January 1, 2025