Study on Tensile Strength of High-Density Polyethylene/Polyethylene Terephthalate Blend

Abstract

This paper studies and evaluates the mechanical properties of a blend of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The HDPE/PET blends are prepared by injection molding PET into HDPE with a ratio of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively. After the injection molding, the samples are measured for tensile strength according to standard D638. As a result, the tensile values of HDPE/PET gradually decreased with the ratio of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% (PET) and 18.45, 17.31, 15.45, and 14.43 MPa, respectively. It was shown that the tensile strength of the HDPE/PET composite decreased gradually as the PET percentage increased because the penetration of PET in the HDPE structure increased the elastic modulus of the PET ratio, leading to a decrease in tensile strength. The packaging is known to be mostly blown from HDPE, which has many outstanding features. However, some disadvantages exist, such as low bending strength, low heat distortion temperature, low transparency, and, most importantly, packaging. The packaging blown from HDPE is unstable. This problem is a limited application of HDPE in the packaging industry. To improve the recycling of plastic packaging from HDPE, adding PET is the most effective way. PET plastic packaging is transparent, flexible, toxic, and difficult to recycle, so it can only be used once. Incorporating PET into HDPE will improve the transparency and mechanical properties of HDPE and reduce the cost of PET plastic, and reduce environmental pollution.