Rubber-toughened acrylic materials

Rubber-toughened acrylic (RTA) materials provide an interesting case-study of the preformed particle route to rubber-toughened plastics in which toughening particles are first prepared and then blended with the polymer to be toughened. In this way the properties of the toughening particles and matrix polymer can be independently controlled. A critical review of the preparation and properties of RTA materials containing multiphase submicrometre-size toughening particles is given, highlighting how control of toughening particle size, morphology and chemistry facilitates optimization of the mechanical properties of the materials. The effects of the mode and rate of deformation upon the mechanism(s) by which the materials deform are discussed in relation to the properties of the toughening particles.