Thermal behavior of PVDF/FKM Blends in different curing systems

Blends of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and fluororubber (FKM) were prepared in an internal mixer by dynamic vulcanization. The effect of FKM with and without curing system on crystallization and thermal behavior of the PVDF/FKM blends was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the mechanical and thermal properties of the blends. The DSC test gave good indications of improved state of miscibility in most blend ratios. The increase of FKM content showed a favorable effect on the crystallization of the PVDF component. The incorporation of FKM as a co-blend improved the thermal stability of PVDF, and the temperature at 10% mass loss of the blends increased.