Morphology and strength of polycarbonate to poly(butylene terephthalate) vibration-welded butt joints

Under the right conditions, the strength of vibration‐welded butt joints of amorphous polycarbonate (PC) to semicrystalline poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) are shown to be as high as the strength of PBT, the weaker of the two materials. Optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy are used to examine the morphology of the weld zone. Acoustic microscopy is used to visualize poorly bonded regions. The effects of the weld parameters on weld strength and weld morphology are considered in detail.