Polyolefins compatibilization

Fusabond . [DuPont] Anhydride-modified polyolefins compatibilizers for... 

Polypropylene block and graft copolymers are efficient blend compatibilizers. These materials allow the formation of alloys, for example, isotactic polypropylene with styrene-acrylonitrile polymer or polyamides, by enhancing the dispersion of incompatible polymers and improving their interfacial adhesion. Polyolefinic materials of such types afford property synergisms such as improved stiffness combined with greater toughness. 

Blends based on polyolefins have been compatibilized by reactive extrusion where functionalized polyolefins are used to form copolymers that bridge the phases. Maleic anhydride modified polyolefins and acrylic acid modified polyolefins are the commonly used modified polymers used as the compatibilizer in polyolefin-polyamide systems. The chemical reaction involved in the formation of block copolymers by the reaction of the amine end group on nylon and anhydride groups or carboxylic groups on modified polyolefins is shown in Scheme 1. 

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-... 

A route to compatibility involving ionomers has been described recently by Eisenberg and coworkers [250-252]. The use of ionic interactions between different polymer chains to produce new materials has gained tremendous importance. Choudhury et al. [60] reported compatibilization of NR-polyolefin blends with the use of ionomers (S-EPDM). Blending with thermoplastics and elastomers could enhance the properties of MPR. The compatibility of copolyester TPE, TPU, flexible PVC, with MPR in aU proportions, enables one to blend any combination of these plastics with MPR to cost performance balance. Myrick has reported on the effect of blending MPR with various combinations and proportions of these plastics and provided a general guideline for property enhancement [253]. 

Roy Choudhury N. and Bhowmick A.K., Compatibilization of natural rubber-polyolefin thermoplastic elastomeric blends by phase modification, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 30, 1091, 1989. 

Polycarbonate-polystyrene blend along with poly(alkylene-dicarboxylate) such as SMA SEBS copolymer for toughening blends of PPO with nylon and polyolefin (proprietary compatibilizer)... 

In the present paper, we report on the compatibilization of clay with polyolefins, specifically low and high density poly-ethylenes (LDPE, HDPE), through the radical-induced polymerization of maleic anhydride (MAH) in the presence of the polymer and clay, so that the MAH is grafted on the PE and the anhydride groups concurrently react with the filler surface (l, 2). 

Influence of compatibilization on the foam morphology - despite the significant influence and relevance of compatibilization on the blend structure and interfacial behavior, only partly discussed for polyolefins/styrenics blends [37]... 

Granular starch and copolymers of ethylene and acrylic esters and alkyl(meth)acr-ylates or vinylacetate are produced as master batches for the production of mulch films, geotextiles and molded articles.146 The polar copolymers act as compatibilizers by lowering the interfacial energy between starch and the polyolefin and eliminate the need to coat granules. Processing via a vented twin-screw extruder also eliminates the need for anhydrous starch. 

As block copolymers are still rather expensive materials, it may be advantageous to use them as additives to important industrial polymers. In this domain, possibilities are extremely numerous and diverse. They include an improvement of chemical properties such as resistence to degradation agents, or rheological properties such as adhesion of vinylic paints, high impact properties of conventional thermoplastics, or a compatibilization of polyolefins, polystyrene and poly(vinyl chloride) allowing the reuse of polymeric waste products. The above examples illustrate the great intrinsic potential of block copolymers in the quest of new materials with specific properties. 

As discussed in the first part, blends containing immiscible components such as polyolefins could improve the performances of the inherently brittle sPS. Until now the reported investigations have concerned simple binary blends containing a polyolefin and sometimes SEBS as a compatibilizer. In addition, sPS/ polyurethane and sPS/sulfonated sPS blends were also investigated. All these studies tried to correlate the microscopic features of the blends with their mechanical properties. 

A large proportion of the industrial applications of reactive compatibilization are between polyolefins and polyamides and several studies have investigated... 

If chemical reaction can take place between the functional groups on the compatibilizer and the two phases, then this will result in high interfacial adhesion and the miscibility is important only insofar as the reacting groups need to approach one another in order to enable reaction. Often this functionalization is achieved in a separate reactive-processing step, such as the grafting of maleic anhydride to polyolefins. Scheme 1.48 (Moad, 1999). 

Direct chemical reaction between functional groups, so that graft or block copolymers are formed. For example, a polyolefin may be maleated so that it may then react with a polyamide during melt blending to give an imide that functions as the compatibilizer. 

The formation of compatibilizer frequently occurs by interfacial reaction of the modified polymers. An example is the use of maleic anhydride grafted to a polyolefin elastomer (EPM/EPM-g-MA) as the interfacial additive for reactive blending with a polyamide, nylon-6 (Van Duin et al., 2001), in a twin-screw extruder. It was found that the consumption of MA occurred rapidly and different blend morphologies were produced. However, it was found that the nylon-6 degraded during processing, due to the reaction of anhydride with the... 

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