Controlling the properties of HDPE in the presence of low-molecular-mass additives of various types

Abstract

To develop materials with new mechanical and improved rheological properties on the basis of common polyolefins, ultrahigh-molecular-weight PE and HDPE of medium molecular masses, the polymers have been modified with low-molecular-mass additives: crystalline organic disulfides (dithiaalkanes), liquid oligomer phenylmethylsiloxane, and oligooxypropylene glycol. It has been shown that the studied disulfide additives at low concentrations (up to 10% of the mass of PE) have no significant effect on the content and quality of the crystalline phase of HDPE. (The degree of crystallinity, enthalpy, and melting temperature change weakly.) In this case the plasticity of the modified PE improves: the tensile modulus and dynamic modulus decrease, whereas the elongation at break increases. In the presence of organic disulfides, the effective viscosity of the PE melt decreases. Unlike oligomeric phenylmethylsiloxane and oligooxypropylene glycol, dithiaalkanes are inert to the components of metallocomplex catalysts. Thus, the modification of PE with the aforementioned additives may be performed via their addition to the final polymer or in the course of the synthesis of the polymer.