Enrichment of poly(methyl methacrylate) and its graft copolymer of polybutadiene on the surface of polypropylene blends

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and its graft copolymer of polybutadiene were used as the macromolecular surface modifiers of polypropylene. The enrichment and diffusion of the modifiers onto the surface of polypropylene blends were investigated using FTIR-ATR, CDA and SEM. It has been found that the selective aggregation of the modifier component on the surface of polypropylene was mainly affected by the content, molecular weight and size of the segregated domains. Lower content and higher surface energy die were in favor of the enrichment of the additive. PMMA with higher molecular weight showed larger domain phase and lower diffusion velocity which resulted in less enrichment on the surface of PP blends.