UCTEA Chamber of Metallurgical & Materials Engineers’s Training Center Proceedings Book 716 IMMC 2018 | 19 th International Metallurgy & Materials Congress Efect of an Ionomer on the Mechanical Performance of Flame Retardant ABS Formulations Zeynep Yurdakul¹, Vera Realinho², M. Antunes², Süheyla Aydın³, Jose Ignacio Velasco² ¹Sabancı University, Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Istanbul, 34956, TURKEY ²Centre Català del Plàstic. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech (UPC), Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metal.lúrgica C/Colom 114, E-08222, Terrassa, SPAIN ³Istanbul Technical University, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Istanbul, 34469, TURKEY Abstract Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a widely used thermoplastic copolymer due to its desirable properties such as good mechanical performance (toughness, impact resistance, among others), ease of processability, chemical resistance, and low cost. Nevertheless, the major drawback of ABS is its inherent flammable characteristic which could restrict its use in a wide variety of applications where fire retardancy is required. Phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) have been utilized in the last decade in ABS as a more environmentally friendly option compared with its halogenated counterparts. Nevertheless, one of the main drawbacks of incorporating PFRs into ABS is normally the deterioration of its mechanical performance. The use of an ionomer, as a compatibilizer, is the strategy proposed in the present work to reduce the negative effect of PFRs on ABS mechanical performance. In this study, two different PFR additives, selected regarding to high efficiency of flame retardant effect on ABS, and a commercial ionomer were incorporated into ABS by means of a melt blending process. Hence, the effect of adding a commercial ionomer on the ABS and ABS phosphorus flame retardant (PFR) formulations (ABS-PFR) was analyzed by means of different characterization techniques. 1. Introduction Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) copolymer is a thermoplastic produced by combining three monomers: acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene. The ratio between these monomers and the molecular structure of the ABS can be manipulated to produce goods with useful characteristics. ABS consists of two phases: a continuous phase of styrene- acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymer, and a dispersed phase of polybutadiene particles. Both phases promote the specific characteristics of the ABS polymer. SAN phase combines the easy processing of polystyrene with the stability and chemical durability of acrylonitrile. On the other hand, the incorporation of butadiene rubber into ABS copolymer promotes high impact strength characteristics. Beside these properties, the most important drawback of ABS is its inherent flammability behavior, like most of the styrene- based polymers [1, 2]. Many strategies are provided to improve the fire resistance of ABS, but due to environmental protections, halogen free PFRs are a preferable solution. However, the high content (20-30 wt.%) of PFR required to achieve flame retardancy leads to a deterioration of styrenics copolymers mechanical performance [3, 4, 5]. Compatibilizers are suitable candidates to improve blends miscibility and mechanical properties of flame retardant polymer formulations. Ionomers are a unique type of compatibilizers that have a small molar fraction (typically less than 10 mol %) of ionic groups covalently bonded to the polymer structure [6, 7]. The ionic cluster region of ionomers behaves as thermoreversible crosslinks and improves the toughness, melt viscosity, and adhesion properties of the copolymers [8-12]. In the present work, ABS and flame retardant ABS formulations were prepared and the effect of adding a commercial ionomer on the ABS and ABS phosphorus flame retardant (PFR) formulations (ABS-PFR) was analyzed. The main objective of this study was to analyze to effect of a commercial ionomer on the thermal stability and mechanical behaviour of ABS-PFR formulations. 2.Experimental Procedure 2.1. Materials ABS pellets (ELIXTM 128 IG) was acquired from ELIX Polymers which have white to slightly yellowish color and the butadiene content of ABS is 26-28 %. PB with the commercial name BUNA CB 565 T, manufactured by LANXESS, was used.