Glycerol-plasticized starch (TPS)/polyamide 12 (PA12) blends were processed by melt mixing
using two types of interfacial agent, i.e. diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and a poly(ethylene-
co-butyl acrylate-co-maleic anhydride) copolymer. Morphologies of the blends were
tailored from the nature and amount of the interfacial agents. The average size of the dispersed
phase was shown to decrease with the incorporation of the reactive agents and was
proved to respect models, usually employed for conventional blends, for size predictions of
the dispersed phase. By means of rheological experiments, it has been investigated
whether the size reduction of the dispersed phase was coming from the compatibilization
of the blend or from the viscosity changes due to chain extension in the matrix. The influence
of the coupling agents on the viscoelastic behavior of the blend was characterized.
Both interfacial agents led to increase the absolute complex viscosity but in the case of
diepoxy reactive agent, the Newtonian flow behavior of complex viscosity totally disappeared
in the low-frequency region. Mechanical properties of the TPS/PA12 blends were
characterized and were proved to be strongly impacted by the use of interfacial agents.
Elongation at break was enhanced as a consequence of a better adhesion between the
matrix and the dispersed phase, whereas a decrease of the Young’s modulus was observed
with increasing DGEBA content. Polyamide 12 crystallization in TPS/PA12 blends was
found to be strongly dependent on DGEBA content while the introduction of maleic anhydride-
grafted copolymer had no influence.