The impact fracture toughness of acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene/polyamide-6 (ABS/PA6) blends compatibilized with 5% by weight
carbon monoxide modified ethylene-
n butyl acrylate-maleic anhydride (EnBACO-MAH) or ethylene-methyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (EMA-GMA) copolymers were
examined as a function of blend ratio by standard Charpy tests, Essential Work of Fracture (EWF) Methodology and fracture
surface morphologies. The samples were first processed in twin-screw extruder and they were subsequently injection moulded.
The incompatibilized blends and neat-PA6 fractured in brittle manner, whereas compatibilized blends fractured in ductile manner.
The EWF values yielded a maximum when weight percentages of ABS and PA6 were equal to each other. The values obtained in the
case of EnBACO-MAH were higher than that of EMA-GMA regardless of blend composition in EWF tests. The trend of impact strengths
observed in standard notched Charpy impact tests was in accordance with that of EWF values of blends. The morphology of the
ABS/PA6 blends exhibited differences as a function of the component ratio and compatibilizer type. These differences in topology
of the fracture surfaces of the blends were utilized to understand the deformation mechanism, and to correlate the fracture
toughness values of the blends.