EFFECTS OF COMPONENT ADDITION PROTOCOL ON THE REACTIVE COMPATIBILIZATION OF HDPE PET BLENDS

Polyethylene terephtyalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) constitute a major portion of the thermoplastic materials currently being used in the packaging industry. Blends of HDPE/PET can be compatibilized by utilizing ester groups or terminal carboxyl and hydroxyl groups present in PET. An ethyleneglycidyl methacrylate copolymer (EGMA) was found to be very effective in compatibilizing this blend by forming a compatibilizer in-situ. The in-situ formation of the compatibilizer and its distribution could be affected by different sequences and modes of component addition. To determine the best protocol of component addition for such a reactive compatibilization process, different sequences and modes of component addition were tried out in an intensive batch mixer and in a twin-screw extruder. All these experiments resulted in blends with vastly different dispersion of the minor phase and mechanical properties. In general, sequences where the reactive polymer was grouped with the nonpolar component of the blend initially resulted in the best compatibilization.