Probing toughness of polycarbonate (PC: ductile and brittle)/polypropylene (PP) blends and talc‐triggered PC/PP brittle composites with diverse impact fracture parameters

Polycarbonates (PCs) are commonly used as a blend and a composite to achieve pecuniary advantages and dimensional stability. While the toughness of a homogeneous PC matrix has been extensively investigated, examination for the toughness of heterogeneous blend systems such as PC/polypropylene (PP) blends has been limited. Furthermore, recent interest in highly flowable PCs (low‐molecular‐weight PCs with low ductility) has surfaced due to the large and geometrically complex plastic parts. Herein, the toughness for PC/PP blends and PC/PP/talc composites in a ductile and a brittle PC matrix was explored by using various toughness measurements such as notched Izod impact strength, falling dart impact, boss quasi‐static energy/impact energy, and tensile toughness tests. In a ductile PC matrix [melt flow index (MFI) = 8], the incorporation of PP gradually reduced the toughness. On the other hand, the toughness was improved by 450% at 2 wt % PP in a brittle PC matrix (MFI = 19). Similarly, in the talc‐induced brittle PC matrix, the toughness was enhanced at the PP loading from 2 to 10 wt %. The density of PC/PP blends was gradually reduced from 1.19 to 1.10 g cm⁻³ with increasing PP concentration from 0 to 20 wt %. Degradation, density, thermal behaviors, and morphology were also investigated. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47110.