The impact behaviors of nanoclay-filled nylon 6 (nano-nylon 6) blended with poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) terpolymers (ABS) prepared through a twin screw mixing process were investigated here using metallocene polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (POE-g-MA) as a compatibilizer to enhance the interface interaction. No clear effect of compatibilizer on the dispersion of clay and crystalline structure of nano-nylon 6 has been observed. In view of morphology and rheological behaviors, the effect of compatibilizer on the mechanical properties could be elucidated. It is found that impact strength increases with the addition of compatibilizer at various ABS compositions. Similar effects are also observed with decreasing test temperature at the nano-nylon 6/ABS blend composition of 80/20. As for thermal properties, the heat distortion temperature shows a marginal decrease in the nano-nylon 6/ABS blends. Rheological behavior indicates that increased viscosity is found for the investigated compatibilized systems. Through morphology observations, the etched ABS particle sizes tend to decrease with the addition of compatibilizer for the blends, but are larger with higher contents of ABS concentrations. Those observations account for impact behaviors of the investigated blends.
