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Virgin Polymer (virgin + polymer)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Polymers and Materials Science	100%

Selected Abstracts

Processability and Properties of Re-Graded, Photo-Oxidized Post-Consumer Greenhouse Films

MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 10 2005
Francesco Paolo La Mantia
Abstract Summary: The recycling of post-consumer plastics leads, in general, to secondary materials having properties worse than those of the reclaimed material and certainly worse than those of the same virgin polymer. This is because of the degradation undergone by the objects during their use and because of the thermo-mechanical degradation undergone during the reprocessing operations. The change of the molecular architecture is responsible for this worsening of properties. The use of stabilizing systems can slow the degradation during the melt processing but cannot give any improvement of the final properties of the material. In order to enhance the properties of the recycled plastics, some rebuilding of the molecular structure is necessary. The use of suitable additives can enlarge the molecular weight distribution or can create branching and cross-linking during the melt processing of the photo-oxidized PE. The processability in film blowing and the mechanical properties of these secondary materials are reported in this work. The rheological behavior, the filmability and most of the mechanical properties of the secondary PE with the rebuilt molecular structure are better than those of the post-consumer material and similar to those of the virgin polymer. TS in the machine and in the transverse direction for all the samples extruded at 50 rpm. [source]

Waste and Virgin LDPE/PET Blends Compatibilized with an Ethylene-Butyl Acrylate-Glycidyl Methacrylate (EBAGMA) Terpolymer, 1

MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 10 2005
Mustapha Kaci
Abstract Summary: This work is aimed at studying the morphology and the mechanical properties of blends of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) (10, 20, and 30 wt.-% of PET), obtained as both virgin polymers and urban plastic waste, and the effect of a terpolymer of ethylene-butyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (EBAGMA) as a compatibilizer. LDPE and PET are blended in a single screw extruder twice; the first extrusion to homogenize the two components, and the second to improve the compatibilization degree when the EBAGMA terpolymer is applied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that the fractured surface of both the virgin polymer and the waste binary blends is characterized by a gross phase segregation morphology that leads to the formation of large PET aggregates (10,50 µm). Furthermore, a sharp decrease in the elongation at break and impact strength is observed, which denotes the brittleness of the binary blends. The addition of the EBAGMA terpolymer to the binary LDPE/PET blends reduces the size of the PET inclusions to 1,5 µm with a finer dispersion, as a result of an improvement of the interfacial adhesion strength between LDPE and PET. Consequently, increases of the tensile properties and impact strength are observed. SEM micrographs of the fracture surface of a waste 70/30 LDPE/PET blend (R30) and of its blend with 15 pph of EBAGMA (R30C). Magnification,×,1,000. [source]

Crystallization and chemi-crystallization of recycled photodegraded polyethylenes

POLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 4 2005
I.H. Craig
Test bars (3 mm thick) made from a high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) were injection-molded from virgin polymer and from blends containing recycled photodegraded polymer of the same kind. The molded bars were then subjected to ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Crystallinity measurements were made at different depths from the exposed surface using differential scanning calorimetry. The effects caused by processing and photodegradation were separated by comparing thermograms obtained in the initial DSC run and in a reheating run, respectively. Chemi-crystallization was produced by UV exposure. The results are interpreted in terms of molecular scission and photo-initiated molecular defects. Scission accounts for the observed chemi-crystallization, whereas the molecular defects inhibit crystallization and eventually limit chemi-crystallization. After remelting, crystallization of the photodegraded materials is influenced both by the molecular mass distribution and by the defect content of the material. The changes in crystallization behavior caused by photodegradation are different for the three polyethylenes. The results obtained using blends that included photodegraded recyclate were consistent with this material acting as a pro-degradent. The recyclability of the materials is discussed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:588,595, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers [source]

Waste and Virgin LDPE/PET Blends Compatibilized with an Ethylene-Butyl Acrylate-Glycidyl Methacrylate (EBAGMA) Terpolymer, 1

Control of Biodegradability of Polylactide via Nanocomposite Technology

MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2003
Suprakas Sinha Ray
Abstract Polymer/layered silicate nanocomposite technology is not only suitable for the significant improvement of mechanical and various other materials properties of virgin polymers, it is also suitable to enhance the rate of biodegradation of biodegradable polymers such as polylactide. The biodegradability of polylactide in nanocomposites completely depends upon both the nature of pristine layered silicates and surfactants used for the modification of layered silicate, and we can control the biodegradability of polylactide via judicious choice of organically modified layered silicate. Biodegradation of neat PLA and various PLA/OMLS nanocomposites recovered from compost with time. [source]