Tailored Bonded Interfacial Intermolecular Entanglement of Polyethylene/Ultrahigh-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Blends: Enhancing Miscibility, Reinforcement, and Friction Reduction

Abstract

For achieving a well-miscible and highly enhanced polyethylene/ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (PE/UHMWPE) blend, which is an important blend for polyolefin materials with wide applications, tailored bonded interfacial intermolecular entanglement between the two phases was innovatively constructed via a facile reactive melt process through reaction between epoxy and carboxyl groups grafted onto polymer chains. The UHMWPE phase with obvious decreasing size and distribution was tightly embedded in a PE matrix, and the interfacial transition area increased dramatically, leading to forming a homogeneous and miscible blend. Meanwhile, the viscoelasticity and molecular entanglement density were improved remarkably, indicating an enhanced interfacial intermolecular diffusion, and a tight and robust dual network structure with covalent linkage and intermolecular entanglements was constructed in the blend. Obvious deformation with regular striation and many pulling-out UHMWPE fibrils were observed on an impact-fractured surface, and mechanical strength/toughness of the blend was remarkably enhanced. Furthermore, the wear rate and the friction coefficient were reduced significantly, and the worn surface presented smooth and flat features, confirming highly improved mechanical and tribological properties of the blend. This work provided a facile method to fabricate an enhanced PE/UHMWPE blend with application potential.