Fabrication and Characterization of Poly(Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Blends

Abstract

This investigation presents thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on poly (styrene-butadiene-styrene) (SBS) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials were prepared with varying compositions. A series of works were conducted on the relationships between rheological, optical properties, morphology, mechanical properties, abrasion resistance and thermostability given. The results showed that the shear viscosity of SBS not obvious effect with TPU content. The optical properties of the SBS/TPU blend that its uniform transparency. The morphology characteristics indicating the phase diversion and the variation in the size of the SBS domains from large to small as the TPU contents increased, with heterogeneous domain dispersions. Additionally, the mechanical properties, abrasion resistance and thermal resistance are improved as the amount of added TPU is increased, suggesting that the blending of SBS with TPU is consistent with the compound rule.