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Study on compatibility of recycled polypropylene/high-density polyethylene blends using rheology

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Abstract

The compatibilization of recycled polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was studied using two types of compatibilizers: 5 wt% PP-grafted-maleic anhydride (5 wt% MAPP) and 5 wt% HDPE-grafted-maleic anhydride (5 wt% MAHDPE), using a cone and plate rheometer. Maleic anhydride (MAH) was grafted onto PP or HDPE via peroxide initiated melt grafting technique. Blends containing highest amount of pure HDPE exhibited maximum values for tensile strength, complex viscosity, dynamic and loss modulus compared to similar blends developed using recycled HDPE. The latter properties of all the compatibilized blends were higher compared to that of uncompatibilized blends. Studies on rheology of the pure and recycled polymer and its compatibilized blends have thrown some light on the molecular weight distribution of these materials. High shear yielding characteristics were noted for MAHDPE compatibilized blends containing high percentage of HDPE. Scanning electron microscopy showed that blends containing a high percentage of HDPE and HDPE based compatibilizer exhibit a dispersed morphology. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer characterization was conducted to check if compatibilization occurred between recycled PP and HDPE.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Johnson Mathew, Joyson John and Denie Yohannan for the technical support provided in this work. They would also like to thank the research administration of Kuwait University for granting funds from project EC 02/09 to carry out this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, 13060, Safat, Kuwait

    Adam Al-Mulla & Habib Shaban

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  1. Adam Al-Mulla
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  2. Habib Shaban
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Correspondence to Habib Shaban.

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Al-Mulla, A., Shaban, H. Study on compatibility of recycled polypropylene/high-density polyethylene blends using rheology. Polym. Bull. 71, 2335–2352 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-014-1191-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-014-1191-5

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