This study focuses on the interaction between polyamide and butyl or bromobutyl rubbers blended in a high shear environment. The fact that these two normally incompatible systems can be mixed is explained by a chemical reaction that occurs between polyamide and the butyl rubber components during processing. Measurement of the melt viscosity and differential scanning calorimetry of these blends, along with analysis of the extracted soluble butyl rubber component, supports the presence of small quantities of block or graft polymers in the system, signifi-cant crosslinking during the blending process, and possibly other interactions between the blend components. The effect of electron beam radiation on interaction in these blends was briefly evaluated and was found to increase crosslinking in the blends, with some degradation of the polyamide component.

Polyamide-12 and chlorobutyl rubber were blended by dynamic vulcanization in a high shear environment using curing systems based on sulfur, dithiocarbamate/ZnO, and 4,4-methylenebiscyclohexylamine/MgO. As expected, all blends with curing agents show increased tensile strength and elongation at break in comparison to blends without curing agents. Maximum mechanical properties are obtained at relatively low levels of curing agent in all systems. Hexane extraction of the mixtures and measurement of percentage of insolubles along with the swelling index of the rubber phase confirm that a high level of cure is achieved at low levels of curing agent. Although the curatives are designed for the rubber phase, differential scanning calorimetry results indicate that both phases are affected during the dynamic vulcanization process, with polyamide-12 showing a reduced melting temperature that is indicative of molecular weight reduction, structure changes, or reaction with the rubber phase. Scanning electron microscopy results indicate that phase size is reduced with increased blending time and level of curing agent. Rheological studies indicate that blends containing curing agents exhibit non-Newtonian behavior to a greater extent than polyamide or nonvulcanized polyamide/chlorobutyl rubber blends.

Polyamide-12 was blended with butyl rubber, bromobutyl rubber, and chlorobutyl rubber with and without a sulfur curing system. Mechanical properties for dynamically vulcanized blends generally exceed those made with no vulcanization. Chlorobutyl-containing blends prepared by dynamic vulcanization have higher tensile strength and elongation at break values in comparison to those made from other butyl rubbers. For a variety of polyamide/rubber blends made by dynamic vulcanization, there is very little effect of rubber percentage unsaturation and Mooney viscosity on the mechanical properties of the blends. In chlorobutyl-containing blends prepared by dynamic vulcanization, the swelling index values attributed to the rubber portion decrease as rubber content decreases, and it is likely that the polyamide phase completely surrounds the rubber particles at compositions exceeding approximately 25% polyamide. Swelling index results can be correlated with elongation at break values for similar blends. The results of differential scanning calorimetry suggest that the polyamide phase is not a neutral component in high shear mixing with butyl rubbers with or without curing agents. Rheological studies indicate strong non-Newtonian behavior for all blends of polyamide-12 with butyl rubbers. Scanning electron microscopy on polyamide-12/butyl rubber blends indicates compatibility for butyl rubbers in the order of chlorobutyl Ͼ bromobutyl Ͼ butyl rubber.