Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop a polyethylene/polyamide (R-PE/R-PA) regranulated product made from post-consumer wastes grafted with polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MAH) by reactive extrusion in a twin-screw extruder equipped with an external mixing zone. The compatibility effect of PE-g-MAH used as a modifier in R-PE/R-PA blends was evaluated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), while the analysis of the chemical structure of this blend was carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The thermal properties, complex viscosity, and selected usage properties of R-PE/R-PA blends compatibilized with PE-g-MAH, i.e., density and water absorption, were evaluated. The morphology of the blends with and without the compatibilizer was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The R-PE/R-PA/MAH blend shows heterogenic structure, which is a result of the chemical reaction in reactive extrusion between functional groups of PE-g-MAH used as modifier and the end groups of R-PA6. The results show that the R-PE/R-PA blend with increased PE-g-MAH content showed increased hardness, stiffness, and ultimate tensile strength due to the increased degree of crystallinity. The increase in crystallinity is proportional to the improvement of the mechanical properties. Moreover, it is shown that 1 wt.% PE-g-MAH added to the R-PE/R-PA waste blend increases the interfacial interactions and compatibility between R-PE and R-PA, resulting in decreased polyamide particle size. Finally, the results show that it is possible to produce good quality regranulated products with advantageous properties and structure from immiscible polymer waste for industrial applications.
Highlights
The morphology and compatibility of R-PE/respect to polyamide 6 (R-PA) blends with and without polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PE-gMAH) were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
It was found that the addition of PE-g-MAH allows for an advantage combination of immiscible polymers come from waste
A morphological study showed that the PE-g-MAH significantly improved the structure of the R-PE/RPA/MAH blend compared to R-PE/R-PA binary blend, resulting in reduction dimension of R-PA domains size of the disperse phases and better interfacial adhesion
Summary
The linear model represents the one-way consumption of plastic products, which results in the production of large amounts of waste materials [2]. Disposing of this waste in an unprocessed form results in an endless need to extract non-renewable raw materials for use in the production of polymer materials [3]. This leads to the overexploitation of natural resources, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental degradation [4,5]. As a rule, have reduced mechanical properties and thermal resistance, and many procedures can be used to improve these properties, such as mixing with virgin polymers; adding fibrous fillers, i.e., glass fibers, and natural fibers; and modifying with powder fillers such as basalt [13], talc [14], polysilsesqioxanes (POSS) [15,16], or montmorillonite (MMT) [17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
