Polyolefin mechanical properties

The optimum processing temperature for Solanyl is lower than those of synthetic plastics. The recommended temperature profile ranges from about 110 °C at the first heated zone to 170 °C at the nozzle. Solanyl has excellent flow properties enabling low wall thickness. However, the injection pressure is about 20-30% higher than needed for polyolefins. Mechanical properties are roughly in the same order of magnitude as polyethylene and polystyrene. 

Oridation. This is caused by contact with oxidising acids, exposure to u-v, prolonged application of excessive heat, or exposure to weathering. It results in a deterioration of mechanical properties (embrittlement and possibly stress cracking), increase in power factor, and loss of clarity. It affects most thermoplastics to varying degrees, in particular polyolefins, PVC, nylons, and cellulose derivatives. 

The synthesis of new polymeric materials having complex properties has recently become of great practical importance to polymer chemistry and technology. The synthesis of new materials can be prepared by either their monomers or modification of used polymers in industry. Today, polystyrene (PS), which is widely used in industrial applications as polyolefins and polyvinylchlorides, is also used for the production of plastic materials, which are used instead of metals in technology. For this reason, it is important to synthesize different PS plastic materials. Among the modification of PS, two methods can be considered, viz. physical and chemical modifications. These methods are extensively used to increase physico-mechanical properties, such as resistance to strike, air, or temperature for the synthesizing of new PS plastic materials. 

The reactive compatibilization of HDPE-NBR and PP-NBR blends has been studied by Thomas and coworkers [75,76]. The maleic anhydride modified polyolefins and phenolic modified polyolefins are used as com-patibilizers. The effect of the concentration of these compatibilizers on the compatibility of these blends was investigated in terms of morphology and mechanical properties. It was found that in these blends an optimum quantity of the compatibilizer was required to obtain maximum improvement in properties, and after that a leveling off was observed. The domain size of the dispersed NBR phase in these blends is decreased up to a certain level and then increases (Fig. 12 and 13). The reduction in domain size is attributed to the increase in... 

The mechanical properties of these blends are also increased with an increase in compatibilizer concentration. The improvement in tensile strength and tear strength on the addition of modified polyolefins are shown in Fig. 15. The mechanical properties also show a leveling off after the optimum concentration. The im-... 

Currently, all commercially available, spirally wound lithium-ion cells use microporous polyolefin separators. In particular, separators are made from polyethylene, polypropylene, or some combination of the two. Polyolefins provide excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability at a reasonable cost. A number of manufacturers produce microporous polyolefin separators (Table 1.)... 

Mechanical properties, such as elastic modulus and yield point, that depend on crystallinity per se are not seriously affected by low to moderate doses of ionizing radiation. On the other hand, those mechanical properties that are sensitive to interlamellar activity are most dramatically affected by the low to moderate radiation doses. This is seen in the ultimate tensile strength and elongation at failure of the polyolefins. It is also reflected in the large change in melt index between 0 and 18 Mrad, which indicates formation of cross-links that increase with increasing... 

Siloxane containing interpenetrating networks (IPN) have also been synthesized and some properties were reported 59,354 356>. However, they have not received much attention. Preparation and characterization of IPNs based on PDMS-polystyrene 354), PDMS-poly(methyl methacrylate) 354), polysiloxane-epoxy systems 355) and PDMS-polyurethane 356) were described. These materials all displayed two-phase morphologies, but only minor improvements were obtained over the physical and mechanical properties of the parent materials. This may be due to the difficulties encountered in controlling the structure and morphology of these IPN systems. Siloxane modified polyamide, polyester, polyolefin and various polyurethane based IPN materials are commercially available 59). Incorporation of siloxanes into these systems was reported to increase the hydrolytic stability, surface release, electrical properties of the base polymers and also to reduce the surface wear and friction due to the lubricating action of PDMS chains 59). 

A characteristic of polyolefins synthesized with metallocene catalysts is their significantly lower polydispersity compared to one obtained by using heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalysts. Such narrower molecular mass distributions can lead to different mechanical properties of the resulting material. 

Favorable rheological properties are an essential requirement for the commercialization of polyolefins like polyethylene. The ease of processability of the polymer melt, obtained through modifications in the microstructural features, is as important as the end use mechanical properties of these polymers. Presence of long-chain as well as short-chain branching, LCB and SCB, respectively, more or less dictates the rheological behavior of most commercial... 

The crystallization kinetics of commercial polyolefins is to a large extent determined by the chain microstructure [58-60]. The kinetics and the regime [60] of the crystallization process determine not only the crystalline content, but also the structure of the interfaces of the polymer crystals (see also Chapter 7). This has a direct bearing on the mechanical properties like the modulus, toughness, and other end use properties of the polymer in fabricated items such as impact resistance and tear resistance. Such structure-property relationships are particularly important for polymers with high commercial importance in terms of the shear tonnage of polymer produced globally, like polyethylene and polyethylene-based copolymers. It is seen that in the case of LLDPE, which is... 

The mechanical properties are generally fair with low elongations at break and a brittle behaviour at room temperature. Moduli and hardnesses are higher than those of polyolefins. 

Basell Polyolefine GmbH, Determination of mechanical properties of polymers by Raman spectroscopy. Inventors D. Lilge and C. Gabriel. 22 pp. (incl. 3 fig.). Appl. 11 Aug 2003. Int. Cl. GOIN 21/65 GOIN 21/63. WO Patent Application Publication 2004/017056 (Al)... 

Denning s three papers in the late 1960s (a.2-a.4) reviewed the development of closed-cell polyolefin foams, and their mechanical properties. Some of his predictions on materials development turned out to be true. In Part I he explains that non-crosslinked polyethylene (PE) foams have inferior creep properties to crosslinked foams this appeared to be the tensile creep of the melt, rather than compressive creep of the... 

Polyolefin foams are easier to model than polyurethane (PU) foams, since the polymer mechanical properties does not change with foam density. An increase in water content decreases the density of PU foams, but increases the hard block content of the PU, hence increasing its Young s modulus. However, the microstructure of semi-crystalline PE and PP in foams is not spherulitic, as in bulk mouldings. Rodriguez-Perez and co-workers (20) showed that the cell faces in PE foams contain oriented crystals. Consequently, their properties are anisotropic. Mechanical data for PE or PP injection mouldings should not be used for modelling foam properties. Ideally the mechanical properties of the PE/PP in the cell faces should be measured. However, as such data is not available, it is possible to use data for blown PE film, since this is also biaxially stretched, and the texture of the crystalline orientation is known to be similar to that in foam faces. 

Polyolefins have a spectmm of mechanical properties, ranging from almost-rigid EPP mouldings for helmets and factory containers to mbbery high density EPDM foams for mouse mats and grips on hand tools. Rather than list all these areas, five specific areas are described in detail. 

The static and dynamic mechanical properties, creep recovery behaviour, thermal expansion and thermal conductivity of low-density foams made of blends of LDPE and EVA were studied as a function of the EVA content of the blends. These properties were compared with those of a foam made from a blend of EVA and ethylene-propylene rubber. A knowledge of the way in which the EVA content affects the behaviour of these blend foam materials is fundamental to obtaining a wide range of polyolefin foams, with similar density, suitable for different applications. 9 refs. 

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