Question

Among the options given, choose the most suitable compatibilizer for blending Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

• A. Styrene–acrylonitrile (SAN)
• B. Polybutadiene (PB)
• C. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
• D. Nylon 6

Hint:

When picking compatibilizers, look for a polymer {mutually miscible or specifically interacting} with {each} phase—PMMA is famous for compatibilizing PVDF-containing blends.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: What a compatibilizer must do.
A good compatibilizer has specific interactions/miscibility with both phases to lower interfacial tension and improve adhesion and dispersion. Here the phases are PVDF (highly polar due to –CH\textsubscript{2}–CF\textsubscript{2}–) and ABS (SAN matrix with PB rubber).
Step 2: Identify polymers known to mix with PVDF.
PVDF is well-known to be miscible with PMMA owing to dipole–dipole/specific interactions between PVDF and the ester carbonyl of PMMA, giving a single-phase amorphous blend over broad compositions.
Step 3: Check compatibility with ABS.
ABS’s continuous phase is SAN. PMMA shows partial-to-good miscibility with SAN (depending on AN content), so PMMA can interact with the ABS matrix while also interacting strongly with PVDF—hence it serves as a bridge between the two.
Step 4: Eliminate the other options.
- SAN (A): SAN has limited interaction with PVDF; without a functional group for strong specific interactions with PVDF, interfacial adhesion remains poor.
- PB (B): Nonpolar rubber; incompatible with polar PVDF and does not compatibilize the SAN matrix.
- Nylon 6 (D): Strongly polar and hydrogen-bonding but generally immiscible with SAN and tends to form its own phase; it does not effectively compatibilize PVDF/ABS.

Step 5: Conclude.
Thus, PMMA is the most suitable compatibilizer for PVDF/ABS blends among the given choices. Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate)}} \]