Maleic Anhydride-grafted Polyethylene-octene Elastomer Research Articles

Effect of compatibilization agents and rice husk on the energy demand on the extrusion of recycled high-density polyethylene composites

The new trend of the circular economy encourages the preservation of the planet’s resources. In this sense, plastic recycling is one of the critical strategies in line with the circular economy. Rice husk is one of the principal agro-industrial waste in Ecuador. Its harnessing also promotes this trend. The energy demand in single screw extrusion has been studied to optimize production cost in extrusion process manufacturing. This study examined rice husk’s effect on the extrusion process’s energy demand using a recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) with a tapered compression screw with dispersive and distributive mixers. Rice husk was reduced to a maximum particle size of 45μm. Two commercial compatibilizers based on Maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE-g-MA) and ethylene-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (E-g-MA) were used to enhance compatibility between the rice husk and the polymer matrix. The energy consumption was measured on the total energy of the extruder machine. The energy consumption (EC) and specific energy consumption (SEC) were measured to contrast the effect of the rice husk (3 wt%) and the addition of the compatibilizers. The SEC of RH/E-g-MA and RH/ POE-g-MA were at about 41.11% and 55.32%, respectively, lower than rHDPE. This work suggests that rHDPE/RH bio-composite processing incurs minor costs when coupling agents, processing conditions, and screws are carefully selected.

Preparation and characterization of wood-plastic composite by utilizing a hybrid compatibilizer system

The challenge to improve the interface in wood-plastic composite (WPC) has continued to remain a major setback in the field of wood technology. In this work, a novel hybrid compatibilizer system was developed. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) waste and low-density polyethylene were used as a reinforcing lignocellulosic material and matrix, respectively. Maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene octene elastomer (MPOE), octadecyl organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) and their combinations were used as compatibilizers. The as-produced composites were characterized for their mechanical and physical properties using the SEM, FTIR, and mechanical testing. The result shows a significant increase in tensile strength of about 41.46 % when a mixture of MPOE and OMMT were used as compatibilizers. Moreover, the addition of MPOE led to the improvement of the impact strength by 26.89 %. Thus, the utilization of both compatibilizers offers an efficient route to improve the interaction and mechanical properties of WPC.

Polyamide-6/Poly(lactic acid) Blends Compatibilized by the Maleic Anhydride Grafted Polyethylene-Octene Elastomer

To evaluate the feasibility of a strategy to partially replace polyamide-6 (PA6) with poly(lactic acid) (PLA), the morphology, mechanical, and thermal properties of PA6/PLA blending systems were investigated. Polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE) and POE grafted with maleic anhydride (POE-g-MAH) are added to improve the impact strength and elongation at break of the blend. The results show that POE-g-MAH is an effective compatibilizer for PA6/PLA blending system. Compared with the morphology of PA6/PLA/POE, smaller particle size, more homogeneous distribution of domains and improved interfacial adhesion between matrix and domains were observed in the PA6/PLA/POE-g-MAH blending system.

Impact fracture behaviour of nylon 6-based ternary nanocomposites

This study focuses on achieving high stiffness/strength and high fracture toughness in nylon 6/organoclay nanocomposites prepared via melt compounding by incorporating a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene–octene elastomer (POE-g-MA) as a toughening agent. Mechanical test results indicated that the ternary nanocomposites exhibited higher stiffness than nylon 6/POE-g-MA binary blends at any given POE-g-MA content. More importantly, the brittle–ductile transition of nylon 6/POE-g-MA blends was not impaired in the presence of organoclay for the compositions prepared in this study. TEM analysis shows that organoclay layers and elastomer particles were dispersed separately in nylon 6 matrix. In the binary nanocomposite, no noticeable plastic deformation was observed around the crack tip. In the ternary nanocomposites, the presence of organoclay in the matrix provided maximum reinforcement to the polymer, while their absence in the elastomer particles allowed the latter to promote high fracture toughness via particle cavitation and subsequent matrix shear yielding. The partially exfoliated clay layers also delaminated and hence, adding to the total toughness of the nanocomposites.

Mechanical Properties and Compatibility of Sulfonated Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate)/Cyclic Olefin Copolymer/Maleic Anhydride-Grafted Polyethylene-Octene Elastomer

A compatibilizer was added to blends of sulfonated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (SPET) and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) and the effects were studied. The compatibilizer was maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE-g-MA). It was hoped that maleic anhydride (MA) would react with carbonyl groups in the SPET molecules, owing to POE and COC being olefinic polymers and therefore compatible with each other. The compatibilization effects of the 80SPET/20COC/15POE-g-MA composite were measured using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties and rheological behavior were also studied. The results showed that there are partial compatibilizations for SPET/POE-g-MA and SPET/COC cases. Because POE-g-MA > COC > SPET in viscosity, COC in SPET has particle size 1–3 μm and POE-g-MA has particle size 5–30 μm, both resulting in almost no difference in impact strength.

Compatibilization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Polypropylene Blends with Maleic Anhydride Grafted Polyethylene-Octene Elastomer

Blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polypropylene (PP) at composition 80/20 with and without a compatibilizing agent were studied. Both materials are widely used in the soft drink bottle industry. The compatibilizing agent was a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE-g-MA). The olefinic segment of POE is compatible with PP, whereas the maleic anhydride is affined with PET carbonyl groups. The effectiveness of the compatibilizing agent was evaluated using different techniques, such as Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and rheological analysis. The results show that the addition of POE-g-MA promotes a fine dispersed-phase morphology, and improves process ability and toughness of these blends. Shifts in the glass-transition temperature of the PET phase and the increase in the melt viscosity of the compatibilized blends indicated enhanced interactions between the discrete PET and PP phases induced by the functional compatibilizer.

Impact-Modified Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Polyethylene-Octene Elastomer Blends

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a low cost, high performance thermoplastics. However, its shortcoming is that it has poor impact-strength properties. High-impact strength PET was prepared using polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE) grafted with a toughener, maleic anhydride. The effect of the maleate compatibilizer on the interfacial adhesion and impact-strength properties of PET/POE blends was investigated through impact testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation, and rheological behavior analysis. The results showed that unmodified POE has hardly any contribution to the toughness of PET, whereas maleic anhydride-grafted POE (POE-g-MA) significantly improves the compatibility of POE and PET. The size of POE-g-MA particles in the PET matrix were sharply reduced due to interaction between POE-g-MA and PET during melt processing.

Studies on impact‐modified nylon 6/ABS blends

AbstractThe objective of this research is to study the effect of using maleic anhydride‐grafted polyethylene‐octene elastomer (POE‐g‐MA) as a compatibilizer on nylon 6/acrylonitile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) copolymer blends. With POE‐g‐MA, nylon 6/ABS at a blending ratio of 80/20 showed an optimal result in modified impact property. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the particle sizes of ABS in the dispersed phase diminished as the amount of the added compatibilizer (POE‐g‐MA) increased. The compatibilizer reduced the surface tension between nylon 6 and ABS, thus increasing the compatibility of the two phases. Furthermore, studies of the rheological behavior of the system showed that the shear viscosity of nylon 6/ABS blends also increased with the introduction of POE‐g‐MA. Finally, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) experiments showed that adding POE‐g‐MA dramatically improved the impact strength of the blends at room temperature and low temperatures. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:2340–2345, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Polypropylene/polyamide 6/polyethylene–octene elastomer blends. Part 2: volume dilatation during plastic deformation under uniaxial tension

Plastic deformation upon stretching was investigated in ternary blends of polypropylene, polyamide 6 and maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene–octene elastomer (PP/PA6/POE). A novel video-controlled tensile testing method was utilized, which allows recording simultaneously axial strain, axial stress and volume strain while axial strain-rate is regulated at a constant value even after necking has begun. Increasing the alloying content modifies drastically the original stress–strain properties of PP: yield softening is suppressed and strain hardening is increased. As for the volume strain, which is representative of the overall cavitation process, it is found to decrease with increasing alloying content (apart from a small increase for low alloying content). This unexpected result indicates that the finely dispersed cavities nucleated under tension at the POE interphase of PA6 particles and at isolated POE particles favor the profuse development of plastic shear bands in the PP matrix. As such, it can be considered as an experimental evidence of the synergistic effect of cavitation and shear banding in a structural polymer.

Impact fracture morphology of nylon 6 toughened with a maleated polyethylene-octene elastomer

This study aimed at using scanning electron microscopy to study the Izod impact fracture surface morphology of super-tough nylon 6 blends prepared by blending nylon 6 with a maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE) in the presence of a multifunctional epoxy resin (CE-96) as compatibilizer. The fracture surface morphology and the impact strength of the nylon 6 blends were well correlated. The fracture surface morphology could be divided into a slow-crack-growth region and a fast-crack-growth region. Under low magnification, the fractured surface morphologies of the low-impact-strength nylon 6 blends appeared to be featureless. The area of the slow-crack-growth region was small. There were numerous featherlike geometric figures in the fast crack growth region. The fractured surface morphologies of the high-impact-strength nylon 6 blends exhibited a much larger area in the slow-crack-growth region and parabola markings in the fast-growth region. Under high magnification, some rubber particles of the low-impact-strength nylon 6 blends showed limited cavitation in the slow-crack-growth region and featherlike markings in the fast-crack-growth region. Rubber particles of high-impact-strength nylon 6 blends experienced intensive cavitation in the slow-crack-growth region and both cavitation and matrix shear yielding in the fast-crack-growth region, allowing the blends to dissipate a significant amount of impact energy. A nylon 6 blend containing 30 wt % POEgMA exhibited shear yielding and a great amount of plastic flow of the matrix throughout the entire slow-crack-growth region, thus showing the highest impact strength. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 76: 1285–1295, 2000

Toughening of a copolyester with a maleated core-shell toughener

A reactive extrusion process was developed to toughen an amorphous copolyester (PETG) of ethylene glycol, terephthalic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol using either a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene–octene elastomer (POEg), or a maleic anhydride grafted mixture (TPEg) of the polyethylene–octene elastomer and a semicrystalline polyolefin plastic as the impact modifier. TPEg showed an important toughening effect on the PETG. A sharp ductile-brittle transition was observed when the TPEg content was about 10 wt %. For POEg toughened PETG, the ductile–brittle transition required a higher content in POEg, ∼15 wt %. Evolution of the topography and morphology of the blends and the relationship between impact strength and topography were discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2801–2809, 2000

Influence of interfacial adhesion on toughening of polyethylene-octene elastomer/nylon 6 blends

Super-tough nylon 6 was prepared by using polyethylene–octene elastomer (POE) grafted with maleic anhydride as a toughener. The influences of maleating and a compatibilizer on interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of nylon 6/POE blends were investigated in terms of mechanical testing, Molau tests, SEM observations, IR analyses, and rheological behavior. The results show that the unmodified POE has hardly any contribution to toughness of nylon 6, whereas the maleic anhydride-grafted POE (POE-g-MA) significantly improves the compatibility of POE with nylon 6 and sharply reduces its size in the nylon 6 matrix due to the in situ formation of a graft copolymer between POE-g-MA and nylon 6 during melt processing. With the POE-g-MA, a transition from brittle to ductile occurs. Besides, the use of a compatibilizer in nylon 6/POE-g-MA system shifts the brittle–ductile transition curve to a lower POE-g-MA content, which is attributed, in part, to the chain-extending effect of CE-96 on the nylon 6 matrix leading to further reduction of the sizes of POE-g-MA in the matrix, in part, to the coupling reaction of CE-96 between POE-g-MA and nylon 6. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1711–1718, 1998