Effects of mixing sequence on peroxide cured polypropylene (PP)/ethylene octene copolymer (EOC) thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs). Part. II. Viscoelastic characteristics

Abstract

The effects of mixing sequence on the dynamic viscoelastic characteristics of peroxide cured polypropylene (PP)/ethylene octene copolymer (EOC) based TPVs were studied both in solid and melt states. When a peroxide is added to PP-EOC blends, two major competing reactions take place simultaneously: crosslinking in the EOC phase and degradation in the PP phase by s-chain scission. Three different mixing sequences were employed. They are as follows: (a) preblending method—melt mixing of PP and EOC followed by dynamic vulcanization (b) phase mixing method—curative master batch of EOC added in molten PP and (c) split addition method—preblending procedure followed by addition of half part of PP. Solid state viscoelastic properties were studied by using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Melt state viscoelastic properties were studied by dynamic strain sweep at 180 °C in Rubber Process Analyser (RPA 2000). The results indicate that both solid and melt state viscoelastic characteristics are strongly influenced by sequence of mixing. A good correlation is observed between the particle size of crosslinked EOC and the dynamic storage modulus obtained from the melt rheological experiments. Furthermore, the shortcomings of dynamic mechanical analyses in evaluating the properties of the TPVs are also critically discussed.