Synergistic toughening effect of chlorinated polyethylene and acrylic resin on SAN/ASA blends at low temperature

Styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN)/acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate terpolymer (ASA) blends (75/25, w/w) were toughened by blending with chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) and acrylic resin (ACR) at three different temperatures (−30, 0, and 25 °C). When the testing temperature was 0 and 25 °C, CPE played a key role in improving the impact strength of blends instead of ACR. However, an obvious synergistic toughening effect of CPE and ACR was observed at −30 °C: when both 10 phr CPE and 15 phr ACR were added, the impact strength of the blends reached a peak at 7.50 kJ/m², which was about two to three times higher than when 25 phr CPE or 25 phr ACR was introduced into the blends individually. Scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and surface energy measurements were used to investigate the toughening mechanism. Furthermore, other mechanical properties and the heat distortion temperatures were evaluated.