Abstract
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polyethylene (PE) are two of the most commonly used polymers in the packaging industry, and they make up a large portion of the recycling stream. Adhesion between these two immiscible polymers is poor without compatibilization. Maleic anhydride (MAH) grafted PE is a popular compatibilizer for PET/PE but is limited by the slow rate of reaction. In this study, we propose tin additives for improving adhesion and explore the mechanism of that improvement. We demonstrate that either dibutyltin oxide (DBTO) or di-n-octyltin oxide (DOTO) can dramatically enhance adhesion with only 60 s of contact time during lamination. A range of MAH and DOTO concentrations are examined, yielding adhesion up to 1300 J/m2. Possible reactions at the interface are investigated with small molecule model compounds, namely 1-hexadecanol, octylsuccinic anhydride (OSA), and ethylene glycol dibenzoate. DOTO does not improve the reaction rate in the hexadecanol–OSA system. This suggests that another...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
