Reactive compatibilization of polycarbonate/polyester blends: optical and rheological properties

Optical and rheological properties of polycarbonate (PC)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) blends rich in PC with the presence or absence of different types of transesterification catalysts were investigated in this study. PC/PET blends maintain a high level of transparency (transmittance between 86 and 93%) in all cases, regardless of the blending ratio or the presence or absence of transesterification catalysts. These variations in transmittance are due to the size, distribution and number of dispersed particles. The linear viscoelastic properties confirmed the partial miscibility of blends containing transesterification catalysts in the polymer melt. Additionally, the Palierne emulsion model, with a few changes, gave accurate predictions of the linear viscoelastic data for all PC/PET blends. However, as predicted, the low-frequency data demonstrated the distinct impact of interfacial tension on the elastic modulus of the blends, particularly, as the PET content is increased.