Open Access

ARTICLE

Rheological Investigation on a Polypropylene/Low Density Polyethylene Blending Melt

Huayong Liao^1,2,3,*, Jing Gao^1,2,3, Chunlin Liu^1,2,3, Guoliang Tao^1,2,3

1 Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China
2 Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovolatic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China
3 National Experimental Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China

* Corresponding Author: Huayong Liao. Email:

Journal of Polymer Materials 2024, 41(1), 45-54. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpm.2024.053021

Received 16 January 2024; Accepted 29 April 2024; Issue published 21 June 2024

Abstract

Polymer blending with co-continuous morphology has garnered the interest of many researchers, but corresponding rheological models are rarely presented. In this study, the dynamic rheological behavior of a blend of polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in the ratio of 50/50 wt% is investigated, and a rheological model suggested by Yu et al. is used to fit the dynamic modulus. The rheological measurement shows that at low frequency, pure PP has higher complex viscosity and dynamic modulus than LDPE. SEM images reveal that the morphology among the 40/60 and 60/40 blends is non-dispersive. The fitting results indicate that the data at low frequency are underestimated by Yu model with lower coefficient K, while the data are well-fit by the model with enough K. Furthermore, the coefficient K has no obvious influence on the fitting since B type structure in the original Yu model has a very weak contribution to dynamic modulus when orientation and distortion of the cylinders standing for the co-continuous structure cannot be neglected. The key coefficients in Yu model are K and the characteristic length , while the co-efficient K can be neglected. Thus, a simplified form of the model is suggested to predict the rheological dynamic modulus data for the PP/LDPE blending melt.

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Keywords

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